The Committee for Coordination of Science and Technology Development under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan jointly with the Academy of Sciences, ministries and departments, with participation of leading scientists and specialists of the country identified eight priority areas of science and technology development for 2012-2020.

Those include the following areas:

- Spiritual, moral and cultural development of democratic law-based society, building an innovative economy;

- Energy and resource conservation in the electricity industry;

- Increased use of renewable energy sources;

- Development of information and communication technologies;

- Introduction of modern agricultural technology, environmental aspects and environmental protection;

- Medicine and Pharmacology;

- Chemical technology and nanotechnology;

- The science of the earth (geology, geophysics, seismology and mineral processing).

In accordance with the priority areas of science and technology development, the scientific and technical programs form in the basic (the birth of scientific ideas) and applied research (specific development) as well as innovation (the first step toward industrial production).

These areas form the basis of the state scientific and technical programs of fundamental research in 2012-2016, the Committee for Coordination of Science and Technology informed.

Scientific and technical programs in fundamental research are aimed at obtaining new knowledge about trends of nature and society development, creating the necessary theoretical framework for application development. First of all financing is directed on work to ensure the growth of knowledge and scientific capacity which are of great strategic importance for the future use of the results. Term of program performance is up to five years.

Scientific and technical programs of applied research are based on the results of fundamental research and are aimed at creation of new types of equipment and technologies to achieve a breakthrough in a particular area.

These programs are a unique source for the replenishment of innovative package of proposals for further development in the sectors of economy. Term of program performance is up to three years. The task of innovative programs of scientific and technical works is to improve the technological level and competitiveness of production, ensure the output of innovative products to the domestic and export markets, import substitution and formation of export-oriented economic structure. The term of implementation of programs of innovation is not more than two years.

Since 2008, Uzbekistan in the light of the July Decision of the President \"On additional measures to stimulate innovative projects and technologies in production\", provides a closer connection between science and the real sector.

The bodies of economic administration and enterprises are responsible for establishment of funds for modernization and new technologies, as well as departments or design bureaus responsible for innovative development of the industry and an enterprise. The source of their formation is part of depreciation and net income of business entities, as well as targeted revenues from customers.

There are tax benefits for educational and research institutions and organizations and design organizations up to 2013. These include exemption from income tax, single payment tax, value added tax and compulsory payments to government trust funds (except single social payment) with regard to implementation of applied research and development works.

Officials of the Committee on Development of Science and Technology pointed out that innovative programs include, the scope of applied research and development on natural sciences and engineering, experimental design and technological work. At the same time developments, as a rule, focus on getting specific trade result in terms of pilot plant samples and experimental batches of products.

The competition programs of innovative works are based on suggestions of business entities to address the problems by the \"order - result\" scheme.

One of the elements of effective mechanism for implementation of innovative projects is the principle of equity financing, allowing to carry out these developments through a flexible combination of budget funds, funds of industries and regions, companies and organizations interested in the results of developments for solution of defined problems. This is a kind of guarantee that this development will be demanded, introduced into production.

In recent years, Tashkent annually holds innovation fairs. The 5th Republican fair of innovative ideas, technologies and projects, as reported by the Committee for Development of Science and Technology, will take place in Tashkent on May 3-5. It will feature 500 new innovative developments of Uzbek scientists for business entities. According to official figures in 2010, there were 30.3 thousand professionals and researchers performing research and development in Uzbekistan, including scientific and teaching staff of universities.

The analysis shows that 18.1% of the studies are carried out in the field of technical disciplines. Second place is shared by physical and mathematical sciences and the medical industry with a share of 11.6% each. Third place is taken by the philological discipline (10%).

In total, more than 51% of the studies of Uzbek scientists are conducted in these sciences.(Source: UzReport.com)