Production sector is one of the pillars on which technological, economic and overall national sovereignty rests. The industry sector meets the country’s internal needs for a wide variety of products. That includes industrial equipment, which (such as agricultural engineering) are the key to food security. The Ministry of Industry in the Program of Socio-Economic Development has been given serious tasks: to increase labor productivity, to strengthen technological sovereignty, to ensure unconditional quality of products while being competitive, since production sector provides a significant share of exports. Minister of Industry Andrej Kuzniatsow revealed strategic plans for the development of the domestic industrial sector.
About personnel
«Based on the results of last year, we can say that the balance between our needs and supply is becoming equal. Of course, there are vacancies, especially in the regions, but their number has decreased significantly, and the Ministry of Industry continues systematic work in this direction. In general, the department’s enterprises are guided by the measures provided for by the state program „Balanced Labor Market“ for 2026–2030 and the National Strategy for Sustainable Development until 2040, including the use of internal reserves, attracting external labor when necessary and, of course, digitalisation, robotisation, and comprehensive automation of production.
Now there is a generational change in the production sector: workers born in the 1950s and 1960s are retiring, enterprises are actively attracting graduates from specialised universities and colleges. The emphasis on training universal specialists (engineers, machine tool operators, setup operators, assembly fitters) to service complex equipment remains relevant; here, specialisation is gained at the works with taking into account current needs and market dynamics. And in these matters, the experience of the older generation, which remains at works and trains young people as mentors and masters of industrial training, is priceless.»
About automation and robotisation
"There are no doubts that the Belarusian production sector has to compete for qualified personnel with an engineering education. And, above all, with high-tech industries, in particular with the IT industry. Therefore, the emphasis is on automation and digital transformation of the production process. Then job places are created with completely different working conditions, highly productive, with appropriate salaries. And in terms of technological maintenance, such production facilities are not inferior to IT companies.
Digitalisation is a predominant factor in increasing labor productivity. By 2030, this figure in production sector is planned to increase by 2.1 times. Back in the last five-year period, projects were launched to replace humans with robots in difficult, harmful or monotonous operations. The Socio-Economic Development Program — 2030 stipulates that by the end of the five-year period the density of robotisation in Belarus will increase almost 10 times: at least 100 units of robotic systems per 10 thousand workers will be employed in the manufacturing industry. Traditional areas of application of robotics at domestic industrial enterprises are welding, deposit welding, painting, assembly, blanks supply to the machine unit, non-destructive evaluation, as well as palletising and packaging.
Last year, the formation of the IT landscape of production sector enterprises was almost completed — the basic principles of digitalisation were formulated. An analysis carried out in 2025 showed that the robotisation density in the Ministry of Industry was 23 robots per 10 thousand workers.
Thus, in the production of mining dump trucks of BELAZ OJSC, about 40 percent of weld joints are performed by robots. By the end of 2030, this share will double. A high level of robotisation density has been achieved in BELGEE production processes. The introduction of industrial robots has helped streamline operations, increase accuracy, speed of production and improve the quality of products. In the current five-year period, the Minsk Tractor Works plans to robotise and automate at least 40 percent of technological operations. In general, the Ministry of Industry plans to implement about 70 measures to introduce robots into production processes in 2026-2030."
About digitalisation
«Digitalisation itself is a systemic driver of labor productivity growth, serving as the basis for modernisation, effective management and the creation of products with high added value. Its influence is implemented through several key channels.
First, it provides the technological infrastructure for growth. The development of high-speed telecommunication networks (for example, GPON from Beltelecom telecommunications company) is the foundation for the implementation of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), predictive analytics and robotic systems. These technologies directly reduce operating costs, minimise equipment downtime and improve quality consistency.
Second, digital tools are transforming management and business processes. The introduction of digital platforms and management systems (MES, ERP) makes it possible to implement lean manufacturing principles, ensuring strict control over the use of resources, logistics and discipline. This transforms digitalisation from a technical tool into a basis for optimising all operational activities, which is a basic condition for unlocking the potential of any technology.
Third, digitalisation shifts the focus to high-margin processes. It allows to automate routine and labor-intensive operations, creating the opportunity to reallocate resources to the development, engineering and production of complex final products with high added value. Thus, it directly affects the range of output, defining the «ceiling limit» for productivity growth by increasing the cost of the product being created.
Digitalisation of financial instruments in production sector also improves the efficiency of companies. First, it becomes possible to optimise cash flows: the introduction of digital payment systems and electronic payments accelerates capital turnover, reducing the time between the shipment of products and the receipt of funds. Thus, the need for working capital is reduced and investment potential is increased.
Second, the availability of financing increases: digital platforms for placing bonds or shares make it easier and cheaper to attract «long-term money» to modernise production, which directly leads to an increase in output per employee. The Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange (BCSE) is developing a digital infrastructure, the central element of which has become the financial marketplace (finmarket. by). This platform allows private investors to directly purchase shares and bonds of industrial companies, simplifying and reducing the cost of the investment process. In parallel, enterprises have a simplified mechanism for issuing exchange-traded bonds in book-entry form, which makes it easier to attract borrowed capital. At the same time, in order to place securities, companies must comply with information disclosure and financial reporting standards. This transparency required by the exchange’s digital environment encourages optimisation and digitalisation of business processes, which is also a key driver of productivity growth.
Third, overall efficiency increases: the use of digital financial services reduces administrative costs and errors, contributing to the overall optimisation of business processes. In 2025, the Ministry of Industry successfully completed research on the replacement of imported B2B marketplaces. Basic requirements have been introduced for the creation of a national online trade and cooperation platform for Belarusian enterprises on the basis of a unified virtual exhibition of enterprises of the Ministry of Industry. In October 2025, the industrial institute «CNIITU (Central Research and Design-Technological Institute of Organisation and Management)» OJSC issued an order to create software for the implementation of cooperation and subcontracting services. «CNIITU» OJSC, as an interested development organisation and presumed operator of the cooperation platform, will, by May 2026, ensure the development of an online catalog of cooperation and subcontracting services with the connection of a register of subcontractors, an industry atlas and an online catalog of goods."
About technological sovereignty
«The basis of technological sovereignty is the ability to create design and technological documentation. The development of our own high-tech products allows us to further manage and control the full life cycle of products: from manufacturing to service. There are excellent design schools in Belarus, the competencies of which are now in phenomenal demand. A number of large-scale projects to release new products are being implemented.
For example, BELCARD OJSC, together with the Physical-Technical Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Brest State Technical University, are developing a technology and automated complex for induction heating of splined bushings of gimbal drives and applying an antifriction coating to them. Last year, «Olsa» OJSC began developing technology for an automated high-speed line for the production of a core for an electromagnet of a vibration pump. The branch of «Atlant» CJSC, the Baranavichi Machine Tool Works, has begun the development of technology and an automated complex with active quality control for the manufacture of brake rotors and technological equipment for robotic production of rods for castings of mechanical engineering parts. «Mogilevliftmash» OJSC plans, together with the State Scientific Institution «Physical-Technical Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus», the Belarusian-Russian University and «N Holding» OJSC in 2026-2030 to develop and implement robotic technology for the manufacture of electric motor parts with a manufacturing quality control system. This year we have started creating a machine tool holding company in order to combine competencies in this area, create a system of cooperation through specialisation, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing costs.
The issue of technological safety today is inextricably linked with microelectronics. At INTEGRAL OJSC, we create our own electronic component base and modernise 150/200-millimetre lines. The «BelOMO» holding is solving the problem of creating active safety systems (ABS, EBS) so that our Minsk Automobile Plant vehicles will be no longer dependent on Western suppliers.
All leading holdings are actively investing in localising production and mastering the release of new units and components. In general, the country has the scientific and intellectual potential, experience and competencies to build production and sales chains that are minimally dependent on the situation on the external circuit. Of course, it is not expedient to produce the entire range of products in Belarus. However, we are capable of both developing and mastering critical units and components. Including in cooperation with our partners from Russia and China.
Vladimir Volchkov
