Lukashenko criticized innovation projects

President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko openly criticized the effectiveness of the Council for Strategic Projects in his speech. He said the Council was established two years ago and included scientists, ministers, enterprise leaders, and bankers, yet no 'major initiatives' or even small projects have emerged from this body. Lukashenko asked which of the Council's proposals had been included in the State Program for Innovation Development for the five-year period, noting that so far only a process limited to meetings and self-reporting has been observed. As the president pointed out, the country suffers from a chronically low level of implementation of scientific developments: more than 90% of high-tech industrial production does not utilize research results.

Context

The Council for Strategic Projects was established two years ago to coordinate the country's scientific and technological development.