A conference titled "The Industrial Sector as the Foundation for Strategic Development and Technological Sovereignty of the Country. The "Leaders of Industry of the Republic of Belarus" Competition – a Platform for Identifying and Promoting Innovations" was held at the BELTA press center.
The launch of the III Republican Competition for the Award for Achievements in Industrial Technologies and Management "Leaders of Industry of the Republic of Belarus - 2025" was announced.
New opportunities that the competition opens for further promotion of advanced experience of domestic industrial enterprises,growth points and prospects for the development of Belarus's industrial potential – these and other pressing issues were discussed by the participants within the framework of the conference.
The "Leaders of Industry" Competition: Initial Results and Innovations
The results of the competition project and the opportunities it provides to participants were presented by Tatsiana Sakhnovich, Deputy Chairperson of the Competition's Expert Council, Head of the Department of Engineering Economics at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Belarusian National Technical University.
She recalled that the "Leaders of Industry" competition has been held since 2023, and its popularity has significantly increased over the first two years. While 29 enterprises participated in the competitive selection in 2023, a year later the number of participants grew to 52, and 62 awards were received.
- Experts not only evaluated the materials submitted for the competition but also visited many enterprises in person. It was very valuable to see firsthand how the projects we evaluate within the competition were implemented and to ask questions to the developers.
Tatsiana Sakhnovich explained that the competition nominations are divided into categories: "Enterprise of the Year," "Project of the Year," "Product of the Year," and "Technology of the Year." This year, winners will be determined in various sectors: mechanical engineering, energy, light industry, electronics, chemical, food, processing industries, etc.
To assess the potential of competition participants, representatives of domestic science will be more actively involved in identifying innovations in various sectors of industry. For the first time, based on the results of the competition, in addition to traditional assessments and decisions on awarding prizes to the winners, experts will compile a rating of innovations approved within the framework of the competition.
"The technological basis laid in the competition entries themselves is very important," she emphasised.
In 2025, the number of experts will be expanded, with more active involvement of specialised experts from various sectors. The areas of chemistry, light industry, industrial design, marketing, foreign economic activity, etc., will be strengthened.
Among this year's innovations is the introduction of a consultation system with experts during the application preparation process, which will help to more accurately determine what can be submitted for the competition. In addition, specialised experts will be selected for each application if the general expert pool does not include specialists with the required expertise.
"Holding professional competitions helps to synchronise efforts, set trends in industry, and popularise the work and achievements of leaders in various sectors," she summarised.
The competition has opened its doors to all interested participants, with 14 applications already submitted.
Among the first registered contestants are: OJSC "Vitebskiye Kovry", OJSC "Krasnoselskstroymaterialy", LLC "MVТ", UP "Vitebskoblgaz", OJSC "Mogilev Meat Processing Plant", OJSC "Managing Company of Holding "Belorusskiye Oboi" Branch "Dobrush Paper Mill "Geroy Truda", OJSC "Belsolod", "Polimir" Plant of OJSC "Naftan", OJSC "Grodno Mechanical Plant".
Until April 14, all other companies can submit their applications for participation. The competition results will be announced at the end of May.
On May 20, the Second Business Conference "Industrial Complex of the Republic of Belarus: Innovations, Import Independence, Effective Management" will be held in Minsk, and on May 21, the winners of the competition will be awarded.
What helps the light industry ensure the country's security
Irina Shvaikova, Acting Director of the Centre for Scientific Research of the Light Industry, competition expert, emphasised that the light industry plays a significant role in ensuring the country's social security. The area of responsibility of light industry enterprises includes, among other things, meeting the domestic market's needs for clothing, footwear, and textile products.
- Domestic light industry enterprises continue to follow the course they have set, actively modernising and technically re-equipping their production facilities and focusing on the automation and robotisation of processes, - said a representative of the light industry.
Among them, the speaker noted Baranovichi Cotton Production Association, Belvest factory, Orsha Linen Mill, where robotic systems and automated lines are being implemented.
Irina Shvaikova emphasised that light industry enterprises successfully participate in the republican competition "Industry Leaders" and, in doing so, set specific goals for themselves: the presentation of new production developments and their analysis.
How proprietary science influences industrial development
Oleg Yelovoy, Deputy General Director for Scientific Work and Innovation of the Joint Institute of Mechanical Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, stated that the catalogue of competition winners shows that we have something to present, and it is pleasing that these achievements are formed on the basis of interaction between manufacturers and proprietary academic science.
- If you don't feed your own science, you finance someone else's economy, - O. Yelovoy stressed the well-known truth.
- Proprietary science is a concept that is, in principle, formed in factories, in production. And it is from proprietary science that industry-specific science is formed, - he explained.
The institute's representative noted that all domestic manufacturers are focused on implementing innovations: MAZ, MTZ, Gomselmash, Belkommunmash. In particular, the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, together with BelAZ, has created an unmanned version of a quarry dump truck.
- Specialists from BelAZ and the people who service the equipment directly in the quarry can see and evaluate the real resource in real-time, - shared Oleg Yelovoy. This is how cooperation should be. And then there will be something to show at the competition.
A word from the Grand Prix winner
The GRAND PRIX winner of the "Industry Leaders of the Republic of Belarus – 2024" competition was OJSC "INTEGRAL" – the management company of the "INTEGRAL" holding. Alexey Tsivako, Deputy General Director for Quality, believes that the development of any enterprise is a continuous process. It must be constant.
- We must keep pace with the times, introduce new technologies, update equipment, and produce in-demand and high-quality products. That is how success will be achieved. In 2025, "Integral" will participate in the competition. We have something to showcase in several nominations, concluded A. Tsivako.
What kind of personnel can ensure the development of enterprises and industries
Andrei Safonov, First Vice-Rector of the Belarusian National Technical University, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the competition, spoke about the interaction between higher education institutions and industrial enterprises in training highly professional engineering personnel.
The representative of the education sector noted three components that allow industry to be the foundation of the country's strategic development.
Firstly, the presence of its own advanced technological production and active design developments. Secondly, viable academic science, which is the engine of progress in industry. Thirdly, the educational component, which allows for the graduation of highly professional personnel.
The quality of our domestic product, its competitiveness, and the strategic development and technological progress of the country directly depend on the quality of engineer training. What mechanisms does he see for solving the tasks of high-quality training of engineering personnel?
- First and foremost, the development of branches – departments at leading enterprises, within which leading specialists from these enterprises, using the material and technical base of the enterprises, are directly involved in the educational process. So that together we train specialists, as is commonly said, for specific cases, for the tasks of real manufacturers.
The second point, related to solving the task of improving the quality of personnel training, according to Andrei Safonov, is the development of targeted recruitment and training. Over the past two years, BNTU has observed very significant dynamics and demand for this type of training.
Noting the importance of joint work with enterprises in personnel training, Andrei Safonov reported that as one of the criteria for evaluating an enterprise applying for the competition in the "Enterprise of the Year" nomination group, the quality of its interaction with the university will also be assessed.
Registration of applications from enterprises for participation began on January 13 and will last until April 14, 2025.
The conference "Industrial Complex of the Republic of Belarus: Innovations, Import Independence, Effective Management" will be held on May 20, 2025.
The award ceremony for the winners will take place on May 21, 2025.
All information is available on the website: