The Government session chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov considered measures for the development and digitalisation of science, El.kz cites primeminister.kz.
Reports were made by Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Zhaslan Madiyev. The floor was given to representatives of the scientific sphere and IT-companies representatives were given to Saule Rakhmetullina, Rector of D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, Beibit Abdikenov, Associate Professor of Astana IT University, Alexander Avdeev, Deputy Director General of the Institute of High Technologies of Kazatomprom, Ablay Sargaskayev, Head of VR startup Uniblock and Salamat Kabdulov, Head of Dereknet startup.
In Kazakhstan, 25,473 scientists work in the field of science and 425 scientific organisations operate. 2,094 scientific projects, 241 scientific and technical programmes and 208 commercialisation projects are being implemented. As part of the digitalisation of science, modules on scientific organisations, scientists, projects and programmes have been integrated. The integration of the Single Window of the national innovation system with the IS of state bodies has been completed.
Prime Minister stressed that within the framework of the instructions of the Head of State to maintain the pace and quality of reforms in the field of science, optimal conditions are being created. For 6 years its financing from the republican budget has increased 6 times and amounted to 252.5 billion tenge this year. According to the Concept of Science Development until 2029, the financing of the sphere will increase to 1% of GDP (in 2014 - 0.14%). To stimulate business investment in science, tax incentives have been introduced from 1 January 2025. Specific measures have been taken to provide social support to scientists. Scientists engaged in fundamental research in priority areas of science receive direct funding.
Every year, more than 250 young scientists undergo internships in the world's leading scientific centres. The number of educational grants for doctoral programmes is increasing. The share of young people in science has noticeably increased; today it is 46 per cent. To further attract young people to science, it is necessary to more actively develop university research.
Olzhas Bektenov noted that branches of foreign universities opened in Kazakhstan should play an important role in the development of science, integration of the country into the global academic community. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education has been instructed to intensify work to attract top foreign universities in Kazakhstan.
Also, attention is focused on the need to create science-intensive areas - science cities, which can give an impetus to the development of science, technology and innovation.
The issues of commercialisation of scientific developments remain important. Each institute or university should have a partner in the form of a large enterprise, which will give targeted orders and co-finance the costs. Such successful examples of scientific developments exist today - a technology for obtaining refined selenium, developed by the Institute of Metallurgy and Enrichment together with the Corporation Kazakhmys, as well as projects aimed at improving the efficiency of mining and processing of minerals.
Prime Minister emphasised that there is a big and serious work to be done to improve the efficiency of domestic science, its investment attractiveness, openness and transparency of all processes.
In this regard, Olzhas Bektenov made a number of instructions to the ministries and relevant government agencies.
- The Ministry of Science together with the interested state bodies have been instructed to develop a concept for the creation of science cities, taking into account the territorial concentration of scientific institutions and innovative production enterprises.
- Akimats together with the ministries of national economy, science, finance to work on decomposition of indicators and measures for the development of science in the context of regions. Each akimat should take comprehensive measures to develop regional science with scientific and technological sessions.
- Ministries of Science and Digitalisation to launch the Digital Science Portal by the end of this year. It should integrate databases of all scientific projects, grants, research results and publications.
AI technologies should also be used to accelerate the implementation of innovative projects, research and development.