World Bank to finance development of innovations in Kazakhstan

According to Vice Minister of Education and Science Bibigul Assylova, the Ministry is presently attracting private sector to the development of science and national innovation system of Kazakhstan. "Our objective is to boost high-technological, relevant researches and commercialization of technologies by means of support and maintaining unique projects and startups. The project is expected to be implemented in five years beginning from 2016," she said.

The first stage of the project will be launched in 2016 and aims at financing a group of researchers who present their studies. Their projects must be implemented in three years. Applications will be gathered till the end of the year.

The grants will be distributed among the leading Kazakhstani scholars, young researchers and businessmen willing to carry out R&D activity and introduce its outcomes to production process or bring technologies to the market for their commercialization.

"The maximum amount of grant is 230 mln tenge for senior research staff and 180 mln tenge for junior research staff," B.Assylova added.

The project consists of several components, such as innovative consortiums, consolidation of the cycle of technologies commercialization, enhancing coordination of national innovative system and increasing potential of the existing institutional structures etc.

As the Ministry explained, the project fully meets the objectives outlined in the National Plan - 100 Specific Steps on Implementation of Five Institutional Reforms - namely to Step 64 (additional financing of introduction of innovations to industry and re-orientation of the structure of scientific grants and programs in order to implement the industrialization program).