There is no doubt that the development of digital technologies, including the software industry along with the improvement of infrastructure, is a key factor in maintaining the country's competitiveness. Investments in the construction of an IT state contribute to economic growth no less than investments in transport routes, information and communication technologies and other infrastructure facilities. But what is more profitable and promising - to develop your own or to buy ready-made? A correspondent for "R" learned about the prospects for the development of the software industry in our country, about the tasks that scientists face today from Sergei Kruglikov, Director General of the United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences.

— Import substitution issues have been facing scientists for quite a long time and concern various areas. Some of this work is being carried out within the framework of the Union State programs, — Sergey Kruglikov points out. — About 30 such cooperation programs have been formed. One of them, for example, the SG Complex, is dedicated to conducting a large number of scientific studies and manufacturing prototypes in the field of space exploration. By the way, in this program our institute is the lead contractor, the customer from Belarus is the National Academy of Sciences, Roscosmos — from the Russian Federation. We will be implementing a number of projects with the support of other divisions of the NAS — the Institute of Physics, the Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer, as well as the country's leading universities — BSU, BSUIR, etc.

— It should be said that our institute has succeeded in the field of digital cartography, issues of remote sensing of the Earth, recognition and processing of images. And we apply all this in practice. In addition, we deal with issues of scientific and technical topics. Unfortunately, the customer often wants to receive the final product without sufficient scientific research. Without thinking about the fact that the research stage is a reserve for the future. And only thanks to it, the technology can be improved later.

— The IT theme has become even more relevant in light of the sanctions imposed on the country. Yes, it is easier to move along the beaten path when you have groups of suppliers of various services and goods from abroad, and you are engaged in the assembly of one or another type of product, including software. After all, part of the software was borrowed from foreign companies. But in the end, we came to domestic platform solutions and now we will implement all the ideas ourselves. In particular, we are talking about a single digital platform in the field of healthcare. There is a reserve. For example, the country project "Electronic prescription", successfully implemented with a large share of participation of our institute, allows us to look with optimism at new domestic platforms. The institute has good partners - Belarusian cloud technologies, the National Center for Electronic Services, etc.

Source: newspaper "Respublika"