ISTC held a series of events in Kazakhstan this week in the frame of the ISTC week in Kazakhstan. The first one was the 14th SAC (Scientific Advisory Committee) seminar on the theme of ‘Developing Innovation and Technology Transfer in a Global Security Environment’ on 27-28 September. The second one was a forum on Innovation and Investment on Thursday 29th. And finally ISTC was sponsoring and taking part in an OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) working group on Kazakh economic development and competitiveness to be held on Friday 30th in Astana.

ISTC announced during a press conference on Tuesday 27 September that its Secretariat is making preparations to transform the current ISTC Branch Office in Kazakhstan into its main office. The organization, active in 7 countries of the CIS, plans to gradually transfer its operations and staff between now and 2015, when it will complete its activities in the Russian Federation.

Since Kazakhstan joined ISTC in 1995, 183 projects were funded for a value of $66 million in the fields of biotechnology, fission reactors, chemistry, environment and medicine. Most of the main Kazakh R&D institutes participated in ISTC projects in collaboration with their colleagues in the EU, Canada, Japan and USA. 

ISTC Resource Center in Almaty also delivers training courses for Kazakh scientists. The aim is to improve their skills to make business plans to bring research results to the market place.

Panel of speakers at the press conference during the opening of the SAC seminar