Scientific-productive poles to contribute to Cuban development

The revival of scientific-productive poles of the country is a contribution to national socio-economic development, said in this city Miguel Diaz-Canel, first vice president of the council of State and Ministers.

He noted that the fact of reviving and enhancing their functioning should be on the same principles of integration conceived by Commander in Chief Fidel Castro in the early 80s of last century, but adapted to the current context.

In a meeting with representatives of scientific institutions from the provinces of Havana, Mayabeque and Artemisa, Diaz-Canel highlighted the convening power of the latter, joined together in a collaborative entity to raise their contributions to the economy and society.

He described as essential the achievement of greater integration and speeding up the introduction of scientific and technological results, especially those resulting from innovation with high added value.

He suggested the need to extend to other sectors the successful experience of the Group of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries (BioCubaFarma), created in November 2012, in particular on the closure of the cycle of design-production and marketing of products and services.

Although subject to the decisions of the 7th Congress of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC by its Spanish acronym), to be held next April, priorities in science, technology and innovation are related to food production, tackling climate change and computerization and automation.

The rational water management, basic and natural sciences, energy, particularly renewable, physical planning, comprehensive development of the population, biotechnology and medical-pharmaceutical production, as well as social and educational sciences and their technologies are included in this strategy.

At the meeting with Diaz-Canel, scientists approved the organizational principles of the Poles and their proposals for topics to be discussed at their sessions in June, September and December.

With emphasis on the introduction of the results, three scientific-productive poles were settled only in the province of Havana: the Biological Front (1981), the one on Western Havana (1991) and those of Humanities in a period of two years.

Their branches in the provinces of the nation were created shortly after.

In general, they all formed alliances to enhance resources, dedication to work and the idea that science was a tool for development, amidst of emergencies of the so-called special period.