Strengthening the link between the national development strategy and sectoral and territorial policies—while removing obstacles so that research findings can extend beyond the academic sphere and foster a knowledge economy—are the essential pillars of the General Law on Science, Technology, and Innovation, published in the Official Gazette (ordinary edition 94).
Approved by the Cuban Parliament, this legal framework helps cultivate a culture of innovation, prioritizes the practical application of knowledge, and directs scientific and technological efforts toward solving concrete problems and advancing the nation’s sustainable development.
Armando Rodríguez Batista, PhD, Minister of Science, Technology, and Environment (Citma), told Granma that this Law is the product of a collective effort by the Cuban scientific community. It reflects the evolution of national science and innovation policy and serves as the culmination of transformations implemented in recent years—transformations that introduce new structures designed to energize innovation.
These structures include the National Council for Science and Innovation—a forum for policy discussion at the highest level of government—as well as the Government Management System based on Science and Innovation, science and technology parks, science and technology foundations, university-based interface entities, high-tech enterprises, and new incentives for scientific production and innovation.
The Law also addresses current challenges facing the National System of Science, Technology, and Innovation—such as those related to human capital, a lack of foreign currency funding, the insufficient use of knowledge in decision-making, and the urgent need to increase the visibility of its economic and social impacts.
It promotes the international integration of Cuban science, technology, and innovation; a recent example of this is the joint call for research projects between Citma and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, focusing on artificial intelligence and natural and traditional medicine.
As stated by the head of Citma, the Law also recognizes the leading role of the Cuban Academy of Sciences—an independent institution overseen by the Council of Ministers—and reaffirms the ethical standards and commitment to service held by Cuban scientists and innovators.
