Innovations

Innovation activity in Kazakhstan is based on the introduction of new ideas, scientific knowledge, technologies and products into various spheres of production and social management. At present, innovations are among the most important factors in the development of national economy.

The basic provisions of the Law "On innovation activity" and "The Program for the formation and development of the national innovation system of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2005 – 2015” aim to facilitate growth of innovative activity in Kazakhstan. The body authorized to implement the state policy in the field of innovations is the Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan.

The Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On innovation activity" regulates relations in the sphere of innovations and defines the basic principles, areas and forms of implementing the state innovation policy. Particular attention is drawn to high-growth areas, particularly information and communications technology and electronics.

The purpose of "The Program for the formation and development of the national innovation system of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2005 - 2015" is to create an open innovation system, ensuring the creation of a competitive end product based on the use of domestic and foreign scientific potential.

The national innovation system includes 4 main elements - scientific potential, innovative entrepreneurship, innovation and financial infrastructures.

The program provides for the introduction of R&D grant funding from the state budget on a competitive basis. It implies financing of priority technologies, both within the frameworks of scientific and technical programs, and individual topics and projects.

The legislative support of the Program is provided by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On state support of innovation activities". The law establishes basic objectives, principles, directions and forms of state support of innovations, regulates the state′s involvement in creation of specialized organizations that support innovation, such as industrial parks, technology incubators and innovation funds.

As part of the development of financial infrastructure, the National Innovation Foundation was established in 2003 to enhance innovation and promote the development of technology-intensive enterprises. Currently, the Fund is part of the state holding company "National Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna", whose main task is to manage the system of public development institutions in the Republic.

Development institutions carry out project funding at all stages of the project cycle, as well as provide information and institutional support:

• Center for Marketing and Analytical Research provides information on markets, global trends, changes in external and internal business environment for particular products, industries, types of enterprises, conducts a series of studies together with reputable and experienced international consulting companies in order to improve the business environment, enhance the factors influencing the competitiveness of the economy.
• Center for Engineering and Technology Transfer provides consulting, information, legal and other services for technology transfer, conducts marketing of internal and external technology markets, as well as analysis of global trends in this area, and manages formation of the system of the national and regional technoparks as centers of innovative development.
• "Damu" Entrepreneurship Development Fund provides support for small and medium-sized businesses.

A network of national and regional technoparks is being created in the Republic to ensure the effective functioning of the mechanism for commercializing of research and development in Kazakhstan. The purpose of their creation is formation of industrial complexes in the most promising sectors of the economy and establishment of enterprises with high added value, based on the use of advanced technology and innovation.

The two-level system of technoparks is being formed in the Republic, comprising the national science and technology parks and regional technology parks. National technoparks are focused on creation of new industries in the Republic to ensure the future competitiveness of Kazakhstan’s economy.

A distinctive feature of the national technoparks is existence of the Special Economic Zone regime with preferential tax treatment. The national science and technology parks include Information Technology Park (Alatau settlement), National Industrial Petrochemical Technopark (Atyrau), Nuclear Technology Park "Tokamak" (Kurchatov), Space Monitoring Technopark (Almaty, Astana and Priozersk), etc.

Regional technoparks, which include Almaty Technological Park (Almaty), “Algorithm” Technopark (Uralsk), "Business-City" Technopark (Karaganda), are created to identify, disclose and develop the innovative potential, innovative abilities of the region, to ensure meeting the regional demand for the innovative products. At the regional level, the backbone components of technoparks are local industrial enterprises, scientific and academic organizations. Regional technoparks provide a gradual increase in the technological level of the economy and create conditions for small and medium knowledge-intensive and technological business.

Further development of technoparks in Kazakhstan is intended to solve the tasks of strengthening the links between science and production, introduction of modern technologies, increasing labor productivity in industry, and as a consequence, manufacturing of high-tech and competitive products.