President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted in the election program that science should be focused on new production technologies that will make the country competitive. Therefore, it is important to commercialize the results of scientific and scientific-technical activities. Moreover, this step will increase added value, strengthen the competitiveness of business and the country as a whole. We talked a little with the Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek about the commercialization of domestic science.
- Sayasat Nurbekovich, what is the best experience of countries to rely on for the commercialization of science in our conditions?
– One of our main tasks is to direct science to the industrial needs of the country. Today we are facing the goal of transition to a knowledge-based economy. Therefore, commercialization is one of the priorities of future science. Bringing an innovative product to the market involves a very difficult path from fundamental research to creating an innovative business and bringing the finished product to the final consumer on the market. Speaking about international experience, we have considered the examples of three countries: the USA, Germany and Finland. For example, the National Science Foundation of America (NSF) is an independent agency under the US government responsible for the development of science and technology. NSF fulfills its mission mainly by providing temporary grants. Most grants are given to individual researchers or a small group of researchers. The remaining grants provide funding for research centers. It is also used to maintain large-scale and expensive scientific equipment and facilities in "collective use centers", which are necessary for scientists and engineers, but are expensive for any local group or individual researchers.
- What are our successes in commercialization?
- With the adoption of the law On the commercialization of scientific results in 2016, 2017, 2018, the Science Foundation held three competitions. It received 1,270 applications, more than 1,000 were examined, 193 projects were approved, 171 contracts were signed, more than 150 projects were supported. During the implementation of the projects, 140 knowledge-intensive industries were created. Of these, 15 projects were exported and 5 projects worth more than 1 billion tenge were implemented. A new competition was organized last year. 152 applications were submitted within its framework, 134 were examined. 72 projects were approved by the decision of specialized national scientific councils for the commercialization of scientific results and 68 contracts were concluded with grantees.
The portfolio of projects by economic sectors mainly consists of projects of the agro-industrial complex, healthcare and chemical industry. Despite the business demand in specific industries, there is a low level in the mechanical engineering, tourism and manufacturing sectors. Scientists from Almaty, Astana and Karaganda are actively involved in the commercialization of scientific projects by region. On the contrary, there is no commercialization in Aktobe and Atyrau regions. This indicates the need to strengthen work in the regions as a whole. We hope that the acceleration of business will become a catalyst for the growth and development of new commercialized projects focused on the needs of the manufacturing sector of the regions.
To date, sales revenue amounted to 26.5 billion tenge, including exports equal to 465.5 million tenge. More than 6 billion tenge has been paid to the budget in the form of tax payments. Co-financing amounted to about 6.8 billion tenge. More than 1,400 people are provided with jobs. The total contribution to the scientific and technical development of the country has reached about 55.1 billion tenge. Analyzing the portfolio of 152 implemented projects, it can be noted that in most cases the grantees are business representatives. The results of universities are low. This situation is determined by the sales figures of ready-made innovative products and services. Business representatives showed the highest result -79 percent, higher education institutions-only 4.5 percent, research institutes-5 percent, research and production centers-just over 11 percent. This situation has shown the need to strengthen the integration of science and business. Business representatives ensure that scientists achieve the best results in the implementation of projects for the commercialization of scientific results with the creation of new industries, as well as the organization of new jobs, tax revenues to the budget.
- At the same time, it would be reasonable to note what requirements are imposed on scientists...
-Taking into account the practical experience and indicators of the national project "technological breakthrough through digitalization, science and innovation", as well as problems and proposals arising during the implementation, the tender documentation is updated annually with new requirements. For example, since 2022, participation in the competition for grant financing of commercialization projects is impossible without mandatory private financing in the amount of at least 20 percent of the total amount of the requested grant. At the end of the project, the income should be at least 10 percent of the grant amount. The project implementation period includes a period of up to 3 years. At the same time, the grant amount can reach 300 million tenge. The project manager must be a citizen of Kazakhstan and its implementation must be carried out on the territory of Kazakhstan. The project team should be no more than 5 people, among whom there should be a specialist in commercialization.
The grant for commercialization is provided on a competitive basis. Its operator is the scientific foundation. The process of selecting projects in the competition for grant financing of the results of scientific and technical activities is carried out in an open way. It consists of standard stages that are almost identical to other grant funding competitions. These are acceptance of applications, verification of compliance, examination and other stages. The specialized National Scientific Council on Commercialization, established last year, makes decisions. The amount of funding for 2023-2025 for the commercialization of scientific results has doubled.
- What are the problems in the industry?
- A number of problems have been identified that hinder technological breakthrough due to the commercialization of scientific developments. These are the lack of business competencies of scientists, a weak link between science and business, the problem of finding private financing, low implementation of domestic innovations in production. As a result, there is a tendency to decrease the number of applications in the regions. In pursuance of subparagraph 5 of paragraph 22 of the program to increase the incomes of the population until 2025, the concept of scientific and technological acceleration has been developed. The budget application for 1.5 billion tenge for 2023-2025 has been finalized. We think it would be reasonable to appoint a scientific foundation as the operator of this business acceleration program. As part of the execution of the instructions of the protocol of the interdepartmental commission, 5 roadmaps have been developed. Today, the Ministry of Agriculture, Health, Energy, Ecology and Industrial Development is working on the implementation of the results of commercialization projects in the industry.
The Business Partners Club continues its work to promote the integration of science and business. Currently, the partnership includes 160 participants. 52 of them are investors, 48 business partners, 30 mentors, 30 licensees. Facebook Instagram and Telegram social networks regularly discuss information about the commercialization of science and projects in the mass media, TV channels, various information portals, as well as in social networks. In 2022, more than 500 news items were released. On April 12 last year, within the framework of the Science Day Forum, on June 17 at the Nazarbayev University, on September 22 at the Samruk-Kazyna Foundation and on October 31 at the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, 4 commercialization reactors were held. As a result of these events, 31 projects were presented, 12 applications for the competition were submitted, 7 projects worth about 2 billion tenge were approved for financing by the National Academic Council.
- Can you give a concrete example of companies that introduce an invention into production and receive income?
- of course. There are a lot of such examples. Thus, as a successful case of commercialization of scientific results, we can mention the project of development, creation and serial production of generators based on safe, efficient wind energy, implemented by KB Tree Energy LLP under the leadership of Zhanbolat Muzbayev. The results of the project (solar-wind power sources) are installed in autonomous video surveillance systems of the border services of Mangystau and North Kazakhstan regions. It is designed to take pictures of objects at unauthorized border crossings, monitor objects and signal an incident to the monitoring center. Also, fully autonomous lighting and video surveillance columns have been installed along the main republican highways of the Almaty region. This will significantly reduce the number of road accidents on a particularly dangerous section of road. Currently, sales amounted to 134 million tenge. In addition, a contract was signed with the Bulgarian company Torus BG. As a result, large investments were attracted. Investments will be directed to the construction of the free economic zone "Park of Innovative Technologies "Alatau" in Almaty, a fully autonomous plant for the production of transformers and power plants within the framework of "green energy".
Also, within the framework of grants from the Science Foundation for the commercialization of scientific results, 3 projects are being implemented, which are the result of many years of scientific research by scientists of the Scientific and Production Center of Microbiology and Virology and Industrial Microbiology LLP. These are the production of the antifungal drug "Roseofungin-AS", the production of a fermented drink based on natural whey and the production of a domestic probiotic. I visited this enterprise myself and got acquainted with the production cycle. This project can become a vivid example of innovative domestic developments that are in demand on the market.
- Share your plans for the upcoming project?
- Last June, at the anniversary session of the National Academy of Sciences, the President noted the launch of a program to support technoparks at universities. As part of the implementation of the presidential election program, according to the rules of program-targeted financing, appropriate funding will be allocated on a competitive basis for the development of science and technology parks at universities. The first experience of creating such technoparks has shown that when evaluating their activities, first of all, it is necessary to take into account the degree of their self-sufficiency and readiness to serve a wide range of consumers. And the state will support their innovative potential to provide high-tech services (engineering, consulting, information and others). Unified coordination will be transferred to the Science Foundation through the support and development of the activities of technoparks, the implementation of acceleration programs. In addition, in order to further support the material and technical base of technoparks and scientific organizations, the Ministry, within the framework of legislative initiatives, is working on the issue of introducing a new form of grant financing for the development of scientific and innovative infrastructure. After the development of the necessary regulatory legal acts, it is recommended to support technology parks through the administration of the Science Foundation.
It should be noted that, despite certain shortcomings, a lot of work has been done, there are significant results. At the same time, it is advisable to consider the following issues. Firstly, in order to take concrete measures of state support (grant, program-targeted financing, commercialization grants or others), it is necessary to introduce the practice of determining the level of technological readiness (TRL) of ideas and developments of universities, research organizations and startup companies, i.e. to include them in the tender documentation as part of the terms of reference. Secondly, it is important to ensure on an ongoing basis the replenishment and implementation of roadmaps of line ministries for the promotion of products of participants in commercialization projects. Thirdly, in accordance with the established procedure, it is necessary to approve the methodology for determining the cost of services provided within the framework of grants for the commercialization of scientific results at the expense of the republican budget. Fourth, the Science Foundation should be identified as the operator of the business acceleration program within the framework of the program to increase the incomes of the population until 2025.
Talked
Farhat Kairatovich,
«Egemen Qazaqstan»