In Belarus, the third republican competition “Leaders of the Industry of the Republic of Belarus – 2025” has started.
A conference on the topic "The industrial sector is the foundation of the strategic development and technological sovereignty of the country. The competition "Leaders of the Industry of the Republic of Belarus" is a platform for identifying and promoting innovations" was held at the BELTA press center.
The start of the IIIRepublican competition for the award for achievements in the field of industrial technologies and management "Leaders of the Industry of the Republic of Belarus - 2025" was announced.
New opportunities that the competition opens for further promotion of the best practices of domestic industrial enterprises,growth points and prospects for the development of Belarus's industrial potential – these and other relevant issues were discussed by the participants at the conference.
The competition "Leaders of the Industry": first results and innovations
About the results of the competitive project and the opportunities it provides to participants, told Tatyana Sakhnovich, Deputy Chair of the Expert Council of the competition, Head of the Department of Engineering Economics of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Belarusian National Technical University.
She reminded that the competition "Leaders of the Industry" has been held since 2023, and its popularity has significantly increased in the first two years. If in 2023, 29 enterprises participated in the competitive selection, then a year later, the number of participants increased to 52 and 62 awards were received.
- Experts not only evaluated the materials submitted for the competition but also personally visited many enterprises. It was very interesting to see with my own eyes how the projects we evaluate within the competition were implemented and to ask questions to the developers.
Tatyana Sakhnovich reported that the competition nominations are divided into groups: "Enterprise of the Year", "Project of the Year", "Product of the Year", and "Technique of the Year". This year, winners will be determined in various industries: mechanical engineering, energy, light industry, electronics, chemical, food, processing industries, etc.
To assess the potential of competition participants - to identify innovations in various industrial sectors, representatives of domestic science will be more actively involved. For the first time, based on the results of the competition, in addition to traditional assessments and decisions on awarding winners, experts will compile a ranking of innovations that received approval within the competition.
- The technological basis laid down in the competition works themselves is very important, she emphasized.
In 2025, the composition of experts will be expanded, with more active involvement of profile experts from various sectors. The areas of chemistry, light industry, industrial design, marketing, foreign economic activity, etc. will be strengthened.
Among the innovations this year is the introduction of a consulting system with experts during the application preparation process, which will help to more accurately determine what can be participated in the competition. At the same time, special profile experts will be selected for each application if there are no experts with the required specialization in the general composition.
- Conducting professional competitions helps to synchronize clocks, set trends in the industry, and popularize the work and achievements of leaders in various sectors, she summarized.
The competition has opened its doors to all willing participants - 14 applications have already been submitted.
Among the first contestants registered are: OJSC "Vitebsk Carpets", OJSC "Krasnoselskstroymaterials", LLC "MVT", UP "Vitebskoblgaz", OJSC "Mogilev Meat Processing Plant", OJSC "Managing Company of the Holding "Belarusian Wallpapers" branch "Dobrush Paper Mill "Hero of Labor", OJSC "Belsolod", Polimir Plant OJSC "Naftan", OJSC "Grodno Mechanical Plant".
Until April 14, all other companies can submit their applications for participation. The results of the competition will be summed up at the end of May.
On May 20, a 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 award ceremony for the winners of the competition.
What helps the light industry ensure the country's security
Irina Shvaikova, acting director of the Center for Scientific Research of the Light Industry, competition expert, emphasized that the light industry is of great importance for ensuring the social security of the country. The area of responsibility of light industry enterprises includes meeting the needs of the domestic market for clothing, footwear, and textile products.
- Domestic light industry enterprises continue to move along the planned course, actively modernizing and technically re-equipping their production and focusing on the automation and robotization of processes, - said the representative of the light industry.
Among them, the speaker noted the Baranovichi Cotton Production Association, the "Belwest" factory, and the Orsha Linen Mill, where robotic complexes and automated lines are being implemented.
Irina Shvaikova emphasized that light industry enterprises successfully participate in the republican competition "Leaders of the Industry" and set specific goals for themselves: presentation of production innovations and their analysis.
How proprietary science influences the development of industry
Oleg Yelovoy, Deputy General Director for Scientific Work and Innovative Activities of the United Institute of Mechanical Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus stated that the catalog of competition winners indicates that we have something to show, and it is gratifying that these achievements are formed based on the interaction of producers and proprietary academic science.
- If you do not feed your science, you will finance someone else's economy, - emphasized the well-known truth O. Yelovoy.
- Proprietary science is a concept that is essentially formed at factories and in production. And it is precisely from proprietary science that industry-specific science is formed, - he explained.
The representative of the institute noted that all domestic producers are focused on implementing innovations: MAZ, MTZ, Gomselmash, Belkommunmash. In particular, the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, together with BelAZ, has created a driverless version of a quarry dump truck.
- BelAZ specialists and people who service the equipment directly in the quarry see and assess 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.
The word - to the winner of the competition's grand prize
The winner of the GRAND PRIX of the competition "Leaders of the Industry of the Republic of Belarus - 2024" was recognized as OJSC "INTEGRAL" - the managing company of the holding "INTEGRAL". Deputy General Director for Quality Alexey Tsivako believes that the development of any enterprise is a continuous process. It must be constant.
- We must keep pace with the times, implement new technologies, update equipment, and produce demanded and high-quality products. Then there will be success. In 2025, "Integral" will participate in the competition. We have something to show in several nominations, - concluded A. Tsivako.
What kind of personnel can ensure the development of enterprises and industries
Andrey Safonov, First Vice-Rector of the Belarusian National Technical University, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the competition, talked about the interaction of higher education institutions and industrial enterprises in preparing highly qualified engineering personnel.
The representative of the education sector noted three components that allow the industry to be the foundation of the strategic development of the country.
First, the presence of advanced technological productions and active design developments. Second, a viable academic science that is the engine of progress in the industry. Third, an educational component that allows for the training of highly qualified personnel.
The quality of engineer training directly affects the quality of our domestic product, its competitiveness, and the strategic development and technological progress of the country. What mechanisms does he see in solving the tasks of quality engineer training?
- First of all, the development of branches - departments at leading enterprises, within which leading specialists of these enterprises, using the material and technical base of the enterprises, are directly involved in the educational process. So that together we prepare specialists, as it is customary to say, for specific cases, for the tasks of real producers.
The second point related to solving the task of improving the quality of training personnel, in Andrey Safonov's opinion, is the development of targeted recruitment and training. Over the past two years, BNTU has observed a very significant dynamics and demand for this type of training.
Emphasizing the importance of joint work with enterprises in preparing personnel, Andrey Safonov reported that as one of the criteria for assessing a particular enterprise that has applied for the competition in the "Enterprise of the Year" nomination group, the quality of its interaction with the university will also be evaluated.
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.
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