INTRODUCTION
Minsk - the capital and the largest city in
Belarus, the city of knowledge and high technology, the city attractive for business and
investment. Minsk acts as an initiator and
accelerator of progressive, social and economic
reforms in Belarus.
Minsk is a big industrial center where nearly a
quarter of the country's industrial output is
produced. Moreover, it is the largest educational and scientific center, which includes 21
public higher education institutions. There is
situated the National Academy of Sciences,
where every third of four Belarusian scientists
works. Its representatives keep up with the
world leaders in some areas of laser and
nuclear physics, electronics, biotechnology,
geo-ecology and other scientific disciplines.
Thus, the main innovative potential of the
Republic of Belarus is concentrated in Minsk:
65,7% of the total number of organizations and
72,3% of the total number of employees
involved in research and development, 75,3%
of the volume of scientific works performed.
Knowledge-intensive industries which are
concentrated in Minsk are specific points of
economic growth. Such industries are associated with the increase of competitiveness of
other industries and services. The city authorities guarantee full support for creation and
development of entities of innovation infrastructure: technoparks, technology transfer
centers, innovation incubators, as well as,
investment projects that stipulate the creation
of industries on the basis of new high technologies. The major task of the city government to create the most favorable conditions for
entrepreneurs and foreign investors.
Over the past years, the share of innovation-active enterprises has been increasing.
Today, it is 25,7%. It is expected that this
figure will have reached 30% by 2015.
There is formed innovation infrastructure in
Minsk in order to promote innovation
receptivity of enterprises. To date, the
Hi-Tech Park operates in the capital, as well
as, 2 scientific and technological parks, 23
entrepreneurship support centers, 5 business
incubators, 6 technology transfer centers and
the Belarusian Innovation Fund.
The strategy for sustainable development in
Minsk, an integral part of which is the
strategy "City of knowledge and high technologies", implies further development of
education, research and innovation complexes, development of modern information
structure, industry restructuring, technological upgrading of construction and energy
industries, promotion of foreign trade.
We present to your attention the catalogue
of infrastructure entities engaged in logistics, financial, organizational, methodological, informational, consulting and other
support for innovation activity in Minsk.
5