/ / News
11.06.2012

Belarus to play full role in Skolkovo projects

MINSK, 11 June (BelTA) – Belarusian scientists plan to take an active part in the projects of the Russian Skolkovo Foundation, Igor Volotovsky, an academician, a secretary of the NASB Department of Biological Sciences, the head of the molecular biology laboratory of the Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering told media on 11 June. The scientist is taking part in an international scientific seminar “Academies of Sciences of Central and Eastern Europe and their Role in the Society Based on Knowledge”.

“We will participate in Skolkovo projects. Cooperation prospects have been discussed at the recent meeting between the President of the Republic of Belarus and Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Nobel prizewinner, co-chairman of the advisory-scientific board of Skolkovo Zhores Alferov. In autumn Minsk is set to host a meeting of the advisory-scientific board of Skolkovo to discuss all the details,” Igor Volotovsky said.

The academician named nanotechnologies, IT, new materials and biotechnologies as priority areas of cooperation.

Igor Volotovsky praised considerable headway in the joint projects of Belarusian and Russian scientists, especially in biotechnologies. “The EurAsEC has developed an Innovation Biotechnologies program to cover all the areas in this sector, develop new plant and animal organisms. I think we will take it to the West. We will use this instrument via cooperation with the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP),” he noted.

Partaking in the seminar are representatives of the academies of sciences of Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, Montenegro, other countries. “Scientists have gathered to work out ways out of the crisis, discuss climate change issues, youth cooperation, the role of academies of sciences in the social and economic development of every country. The participants of the seminar are expected to sign a roadmap, or a so-called action plan for cooperation expansion,” Igor Volotovsky said.