Lukashenko outlines key priorities for manufacturing sector

MINSK, 11 June (BelTA) – The industrial sector needs to focus on developing modern technologies, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he appointed new directors general at Belkommunmash and Lidselmash engineering companies, BelTA has learned.

Examples of such technologies include electric buses and a robotic milking system for cows. In Belarus the latter is being designed by Horizont Holding Company. They reported on their progress during the head of state’s visit to the enterprise in late 2025. Currently, this domestically developed robotic milking unit performs 10 out of the 15 necessary operations.

“If we succeed in making this milking machine, this robot, it will be a great thing,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. The main thing, according to him, is that it will be a domestically designed Belarusian product. Although at first there were doubts that it could be done domestically, especially regarding the software. “Some moaned we couldn’t do it. Can’t do what? We can do everything. An IT nation… We were proud of that name, and yet we can’t? The task was set, and young guys at Horizont took it up and are working on it… This year they must finish and build this device,” the president emphasized.

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“We must move forward and see the future,” the Belarusian leader stated.

Another example is the development of modern passenger vehicles at Belkommunmash. Its main line of business is trolleybuses of various specifications and trams. There is steady demand for them. However, the company is mastering the production of a new type of vehicle – electric buses. They are, for instance, actively used in Minsk, and a project to transition to public electric transport is being implemented in Zhodino, Shklov, and Novopolotsk.

Addressing new Director General of Belkommunmash Mikhail Symanovich, the president asked whether this type of transport has a future.

“If the energy storage system and batteries continue to develop, this type of transport has a future,” Mikhail Symanovich explained. “Currently, the weight of the battery affects passenger capacity. If we want an electric bus to travel 500 km, it will carry fewer people because the battery will be heavy. Accordingly, if we want this vehicle to travel far and be light, we need to work on battery and energy storage systems.”

“So you’re saying that not everything here depends on you?” Aleksandr Lukashenko asked.

“At this stage of development, probably yes,” the new director responded. “We use the latest technologies. I think that soon the world will take a step forward and come up with the technologies for lighter batteries. Then this type of transport will truly be the transport of the future.” The emergence of such batteries, according to the new director, is possible within the next 10 years. Belkommunmash must be technically prepared for this.

According to him, the enterprise currently uses not only ready-made batteries manufactured in China but also assembles them independently from cells. They are now preparing to assemble lighter batteries from purchased cells.