There is no specific national policy document on international collaboration in RTI. However, the key documents and programmes, e.g. the Programme of Social and Economic Development of the Republic of Belarus for 2011-2015, State Programme of Innovative Development of the Republic of Belarus for 2011-2015, etc. emphasise the role it should play for developing of the national economy and research activities. In particular, the international cooperation supports:
Belarus has got over 45 bi- and multilateral agreements on the governmental level with the countries of Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America on cooperation in S&T or, more widely, on economic cooperation, which science and technologies are integral parts thereof. The list of international agreements is available in the Section “International S&T Cooperation” at Belarus National Science Portal: www.scienceportal.org.by. It also cooperates with numerous international organisations.
In Belarus, the international STI cooperation is supported by the state: annually, 3-5% of budget allocations for science and technology are targeted to serve this purpose. Budget support is provided for Belarusian partners in international R&D projects, hospitality for foreign delegations and payment of the country’s contributions to international organisations - all these activities are carried out within the framework of international treaties of the Republic of Belarus. Also, Belarusian research centers and universities are granted support for organising international conferences and seminars and participating in international exhibitions and fairs in Belarus and abroad.
Such investments pay off: if in previous years foreign sources accounted, on average, for 5-7% of the annual total expenditure on research and development, in 2010, their share amounted to 14%. Even if 2012 showed more moderate result of 9.5%, this is evidence of the overall effectiveness of the policy of expanding the international cooperation and promoting the commercialization of research results. Information support for international cooperation in the sphere of science and technology is provided by the National Science and Technology Portal of the Republic of Belarus: www.scienceportal.org.by.
More than 1000 international research projects are implemented in Belarus every year. In the past seven years their number grew by 2.5 times.
International R&D projects implemented in Belarus, 2004-2011:
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Source: Database of international R&D projects of the State Committee
on Science and Technology of the Republic of Belarus.
International R&D projects implemented in Belarus, 2011:
Source: Database of international R&D projects of the State Committee on Science and Technology of the Republic of Belarus.
Belarus maintains a high educational and scientific level in its schools in physics, chemistry, engineering, technical sciences, mathematics and informatics. This is reflected in the thematic distribution of international projects. However, the growing interdisciplinary character of R&D activities makes it difficult to allocate a project to one or another area so the distribution presented should be judged with this qualification.
A substantial part of these projects is accounted for by direct contracts with foreign partners for delivering S&T products and services. In 2011, the total sum of the direct contracts implemented by Belarusian R&D organisations amounted to 57 mn USD (compared to 32 mn USD in 2010). The top-10 importers are Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, China, India, Venezuela, Ukraine, USA, Germany and France. The Belarusian exports of science-intensive and high-tech products amounted to 3 bln USD or 6.5% of total exports in 2011.
Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Poland, Lithuania and France are the top S&T partners of Belarus.
Key partner countries of Belarus in joint scientific projects, 2011:
Source: Database of international R&D projects of the State Committee on Science and Technology of the Republic of Belarus.
One of the main tools for supporting bi-lateral R&D activities with partner countries is the financing of projects via joint calls for proposals organised by the SCST and the respective state authorities, agencies or foundations of partner countries. Such a scheme is used for funding research projects with Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, China, Venezuela, Vietnam, India, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Serbia. Annually, about 80 joint projects approved by the intergovernmental commissions in the area of science and technology between Belarus and these countries are under implementation. To facilitate the cooperation with strategic partners and neighboring countries, the SCST has set up and supports activities of centers of bi-lateral cooperation. At present, these centers promote STI cooperation with Russia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Chinese regions, South Korea, Venezuela, the CIS and the EU, see: http://www.scienceportal.org.by/en/centers/1.
Another tool is the financing of the Belarusian partners in international basic research projects by the Belarusian Republican Foundation for Fundamental Research (BRFFR). In 2011, the BRFFR supported 653 projects carried out together with scientists from 28 countries, that is 49% of the total number of projects supported by the Foundation and 61% of its total budget.
Cooperation with EECA-countries
From the times of the USSR, EECA countries have inherited rather strong economic inter-dependence and plenty of partnerships that could be a very good basis for networking within the region. In mid-90ies, an attempt was undertaken to boost cooperation in R&D in the framework of the Agreement on Creation of the Common Science and Technology Area of CIS member-states. At the moment, the idea of mutually beneficial partnerships in S&T area is developing also within another community - European-Asian Economic Cooperation. Unfortunately, neither CIS nor EurAsEC have elaborated sustainable mechanisms and financial instruments to support the initiatives in R&D so far. In 2011, the adoption of the International Program of Innovation Cooperation of CIS member states till 2020 brought new hopes for a revival of multilateral collaboration within the Commonwealth in RTI. However, by early 2014, the funding modalities for the pilot projects within this program were still under discussion.
Therefore during the last 10 years Belarus shifted its cooperation activities towards bi-lateral level. From among 6 governmental agreements with the countries of the region (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Ukraine), the ones with Russia and Ukraine are most effective. Being financed from the budget of the Union State of Belarus and Russia, several S&T programs have been implemented in such areas as supercomputers, biotechnology, space, laser technologies, machinery building, etc. Belarus also co-finances joint S&T programs with Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova and Armenia. Emphasizing the role of Russia and Ukraine as the main economic and scientific partners, Belarus undertakes definite steps to regenerate cooperation with such countries as Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
Cooperation with EU-member states and associated countries
By 2014, Belarus has got bi-lateral inter-governmental agreements on cooperation in S&T with almost half of the EU-27 member states (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and also UK) and several associated countries (Israel, Macedonia, Turkey, Serbia). Though actually, signing such an agreement doesn't always mean the presence of an effective cooperation. Germany, Poland, Lithuania, France and UK are among the top partners in S&T area.
EU-funded cooperation/ projects
In 1992-2006 the most effective INCO programmes working in Belarus or open for Belarus participation were those financed by the ISTC and INTAS, the former - by the amount of money received, the latter - by number of projects. Pursuing different objectives, both organisations played visible role in supporting national researchers after the collapse of the SU and integrating them in European research area. Of 3 299 projects and nearly 9.5 thousand research teams from EECA financed by INTAS during this period, 4.5% belong to Belarus. Within 88 Belarusian projects of 2 450 supported by ISTC in 1994-2006 over 1 thousand national research teams received 33.2 mln.USD. Both INTAS and ISTC projects were characterized by successful partnerships with Russian teams.
Since the beginning of the 6th Framework programme, a transition from the programmes of support to the programmes providing mechanisms of equal cooperation has started. In FP6, Belarusian partners were involved in 22 projects with EC financial contribution 1.25 mln. EUR in information technologies, nanosciences and materials, environment, energy, and also in INCO. The average success rate was 16%. Most of Belarusian research teams which participated in the FP6 represented the NAS.
Despite the fact Belarus has no legal framework for cooperation with the EU and, therefore, there is no support to applicants on the national level, the interest towards the Framework Programmes from the side of the national scientific community is quite high. In the 7th Framework Programme (2007-2013), 331 Belarusian teams were partners in 282 applications that put the country on the 20th position among the third countries in terms of the applicants’ number and requested EC contribution. By January 2014, 55 projects with 66 national teams have been supported with the total EC contribution to Belarusian partners of 4,4 million EUR and success rate of 19.6%.
The most successful thematic programs are Information and Communication Technologies, Nanotechnologies and Materials, Health, as well as Social Science and Humanities. In the other parts of the FP7, Research Infrastructure and International Cooperation (within the “Capacities” Programme) and International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (within the “People” Programme) have gained the greatest popularity and success.
Projects with Belarus participation in FP7 “Cooperation” Programme, by January 2014
Source: European Commission
In general, Belarus S&T potential has not been approached yet. The key obstacle for increasing participation in the FPs is lack of the legal basis for EU-Belarus cooperation, e.g. Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and/or S&T Agreement. This situation results in lack of specific EC actions focused on Belarus. Another problem is caused by absence of the national programs to support international mobility of researchers and, therefore, the lack of a “critical mass of mobility” in Belarusian research community.
In order to advice the national participants of Horizon 2020, the new EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, the network of national contact points was approved by the SCST in March 2014. It covers most of the H2020 areas and includes 25 national experts from research centers and business support structures. The Belarusian Institute of System Analysis and Information Support of Scientific and Technical Sphere is entrusted with general coordination of the activities of the national network of H2020 contact points. Since 2004, it hosts the National Information Point for EU Research and Innovation Programs, www.fp7-nip.org.by.
Belarus Network of National Contact Points:
Further cooperations
Besides EECA and EU, Belarus has got strong cooperation in S&T with China, South Korea and India. It also develops S&T relations with Mediterranean region (Egypt, Israel, etc) and Latin America (Argentina, Venezuela).
More information about the opportunities of international cooperation of Belarus is available on the National Science Portal, http://www.scienceportal.org.by/en/.
Source: BelISA
Last update: May 2014
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(general information - research structure - research policies - international cooperation) (URL: http://www.increast.eu/_media/Belarus_Country_Report_EN_2014.pdf)
