Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Santiago de Compostela University,
Phd student
Shedenov Utegaly
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, doctor of economy sciences
Innovation
support institutions in Kazakhstan
The authorities
in Kazakhstan have for some time recognized the need to promote economic
diversification by encouraging the production and export of goods and services
that are more knowledge intensive. This is in line with the prevailing view
regarding the direct impact innovation has on the performance of firms [1]. To
achieve these policy aims, a number of institutions have been created to
support knowledge creation, its diffusion into the business community, and the
capacity to absorb and make use of this to drive successful commercialization
of research.
The National
Innovation Fund (NIF) was established in 2003 with a mission that included
supporting the development of technology intensive, innovation-led small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and developing markets for these companies. The
center for engineering and Technology transfer (CETT), integrated into the NIF,
aimed to contribute to economic development through innovation based on local
sources of technology. Strategies to achieve these goals included among others
[2]:
· Establishing a number of design bureau to provide a central resource for
helping SMEs and particularly those in the manufacturing sector to develop and
deploy technology to improve their efficiency;
· Establishing a number of science and technology parks to support
knowledge and technology-based SMEs;
· Providing suitable locations for attracting inward investment
· Supporting these investments with the necessary complementary public
funding.
The Science Fund was established in
2006 and is active in ICT and space technology, nanotechnology and new
materials, biotechnology, renewable energy technology and nuclear. The Fund
offers to scientists planning to set up a company or sell the results of their
research within a three to five year period. Funding ranges from around
US50000$ to an upper limit of US2$million. 11 projects have been supported so
far; by mid-2011, three of these started to repayment of the funding provided.
A
new government agency KazNex was established in February 2008 to attract FDI
assist national companies in export markets. In addition KazNex also helps
other institutions to support export-related activities. This new agency
complemented an existing network of development-focused organizations,
including the Development Bank of Kazakhstan, the Investment fund of Kazakhstan
and the DAMU fund.
In
2010 the Kazakhstan Industry Development Institute (KIDI) was established to
support research on theoretical, methodological and practical issues facing the
industrial development of the country. Some of the work by the Institute has
focused on the development of industrial zones and clusters; stimulating
inter-industry cooperation; diversification of production and the creation of
methodologies and practical toolkits for estimation and monitoring of industry
development, among other topics.
A
national agency for the Development of local content was created in 2010. The
objectives of this Agency are to help domestic products improve their
competitiveness by increasing the percentage of local content in goods, works
and services sold on the domestic market.
References
1.
OECD and Eurostat, joint publication
(2005), the Measurement of scientific and technological activities, Oslo manual
, guidelines for collecting and interpreting innovation data, third edition,
Paris, OECD.
2.
A resolution to the decree of the
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 19 march 2010 N.958 on the state
program of accelerated Industrial-Innovative Development of Kazakhstan for
2010-2014.