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OPPORTUNITIES IN INNOVATION(Belarus)

Aliaksei Uspenski

Republican Centre for Technology Transfer66 - 100, Nezavisimosti Ave.,Minsk 220072, Belarus

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Innovation Support Infrastructure [1]

1998 – Belarusian Innovation Fund

2003 – Republican Centre for Technology Transfer

2005 – High Tech Park

2007 – Presidential Edict N1 “Regulations on the order of creation of innovation

infrastructure entities”

At present the innovation support infrastructure includesmore that 80 different organizations.

> The Belarusian Innovation Fund supports fail safe projects, and that is far from the common definition of innovation as a product that has a probability to become successful on the market.

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Innovation Support Infrastructure [2]

> RCTT since its establishment created 5 regional offices and 29 branch offices at research organizations, institutes and enterprises, but there is a lack of technologies to transfer. The problem is allocation of IPR.

> The residents of High Tech Park are 138 companies which employ 18 000 persons (30% are women). It is more for established businesses from IT sector, but also provides education and there is a Mentor Day to present new ideas.

> For young people available: Republican contest “100 ideas for Belarus” www.100ideas.by (grants) and President’s scholarships for young scientists.

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Entrepreneurship Support Infrastructure [1]

- 90 business support centers (state & private)- 14 incubators of small business

They receive finances from the budget in the frame of the State Program to support SME (in 2013 ca. 250 000 EUR).

Opportunities for TCCI:

> The business incubator “Youth Social Service” has a special branch “tourist-incubator” (30 companies).

> There are no Creative/Art Incubators in Belarus. This niche is partly occupied by co-working centers and main building of “Youth Social Service” (150 companies).

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Entrepreneurship Support Infrastructure [2]

> Private business support center “Startup Technologies” organizes regular events http://startupweekend.by, http://investweekend.by (prize money ca. 1500 EUR).

> Association of Business-Angels “BAVIN” (since 2010).

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Other support methods [1]

> Presidential Edict N325 (effective since 2015)“On attracting and providing loans, microfinance organizations activity”

defined new rules for microfinance organizations. Until 2015 any citizen could become a member of a Credit Union, invest and take loans. Starting 2015 members can be only owners and shareholders of companies, farm owners, craftsmen and persons, providing services in the argotourism sector. Microfinance organizations should be registered by National Bank. It is illegal for any other organizations to give 3 and more loans per month.

> Belarusian crowdfunding site startidea.by (1377 projects)

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Other support methods [2]

> Rural houses can be registered as objects of Agro- and Ecotourism for ca. 12 EUR/year. There are more than 2000 registered farmsteads in Belarus but only ca. 1500 active.

> Handicraft industry is not entrepreneurship and can bepracticed on application basis at local tax authority for ca. 12 EUR/year. There are 8 782 (Oct. 2014) craftsmen in Belarus.

Presidential Edict N560 from 02.12.2014 allowscraftsmen to sell their products not only by themselves,but also on the basis of civil law contracts with legalentities and individual entrepreneurs.

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Support of Women Innovators

The Belarusian legislation is gender neutral.- There are no special programs to support women's entrepreneurship on the national level- Statistics on women entrepreneurs is not collected

To motivate women to start her own business and draw attention to women’s specific problems business community and public associations periodically organize thematic events:

- Contests “Best business-woman of a year”- Contests “Lady Boss” - Forum of Women-Entrepreneurs

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New Conditions on Labour-Market

- Presidential Edict N222 (postponed until 2016)“On regulation of business activity and sales of goods by individual entrepreneurs and other physical persons”

requires that sold goods have a Certificate of Origin. Entrepreneurs involved in buying/selling have to stop their activity. Many of them are women.

- Presidential Decree N3 (first period 15 Nov. 2016)“On prevention of welfare dependency”states that persons working less than a half year required to pay ca. 230 EUR/year to compensate for use of free social services. The hidden unemployment becomes more visible. More people are looking for a job.

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General Obstacles for Innovations

- Only limited funds are available for developing support infrastructure.

- PayPal started officially working with Belarus only in 2014 (the receipt of money is still not allowed). Not having access to the most popular payment system affects e-commerce.

- Unstable national currency and high interest rates has a consequence that more than 70% of beginner entrepreneurs start with own savings, or borrow money from relatives and friends.

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THANK YOU!

Aliaksei Uspenski

Republican Centre for Technology Transfer66 - 100, Nezavisimosti Ave.,Minsk 220072, Belarus