Strategies for Linking Knowledge-Based Economy Discussed

DAMASCUS, (ST) – The meeting, which was held recently at the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade under the chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Economy, Dr. Hayan Suleiman, discussed the preparation of strategies for linking knowledge-based economy by investing and linking scientific inventions by economic sites.

Dr. Suleiman, during the meeting, underlined the need to provide logistical and material support to inventors in order to access the knowledge- based economy and give new impetus to the development of the economy by linking scientific inventions by economic sites.

He pointed out that the Syrian economy began advanced steps towards knowledge-based economy, indicating to a report issued by the National Observatory of Competitiveness and the positive points achieved by the Syrian economy.

Participants called for the need to divide inventions into chapters according to sectors for the presentation to the investors and the possibility to take advantage of them, prepare strategies for linking investment to the economy and to provide the right statistical figure, ensuring foreign investment environment and linking investment by science, the labor market and the need to put the inventor in the appropriate place.

They called for the provision of a special budget, especially in the universities to support scientific research and to find a mechanism for linking scientific research in the economic sector and the separation between the inventors and creators and starting with SMEs and enhancing the added value in the Syrian economy through investment of the Syrian inventions.

The participants also urged to direct inventions to actually touch reality and be a reflection of the problems facing the industrial and commercial sectors as well as to visualize the future, register of patents and find a supreme body of the invention in Syria.

They  presented the needs of the change of the Syrian economy towards a knowledge- based  economy through planning to build a society of knowledge and viewed as a comprehensive overview according to the system of science, technology and creating a legislative environment that support the axes of the knowledge- based economy and the introduction of the courses of knowledge economy to the scientific and academic institutions and to benefit from the pilot experiences in the application of knowledge-based economy and a mechanism for incentives that creates a demand for knowledge.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Economy and Foreign Trade, Higher Education, Industry, Planning and International Cooperation Commission, Syrian Investment Authority, Higher Commission for Scientific Research, Association of Syrian Inventors, National Observatory of Competitiveness, Establishment of Fairs, Exports Association and the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce.

Sharif El –Khatib