Dr. Eduardo Martínez Díaz, Vice Prime Minister of Cuba, and Dr. Armando Rodríguez Batista, Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, appeared this Tuesday on the Round Table program to update the country on the results, challenges and projections of the National System of Science, Technology and Innovation.
During his speech, Martínez Díaz highlighted the implementation of the regulatory framework with the recent General Law of Science, Technology and Innovation and underlined the human and institutional potential achieved by the Revolution, in contrast to the situation prior to 1959.
At the start of his presentation, the scientist also recalled the roots of scientific thought in the Cuban Revolution. "A scientist cannot speak of science without remembering the Commander-in-Chief's words when he said that the future of our homeland would necessarily have to be a future of men of science, and of thought," stated Martínez Díaz. He added that this maxim of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro preceded a significant push for scientific development in the country, with the creation of institutions and the fostering of human capital from the early years of the Revolution.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the constitutional backing for this work, citing the 2019 Constitution, which explicitly states that the State promotes the advancement of science, technology, and innovation as essential elements for the country's economic and social development. He explained that, based on this mandate, policies and legal norms have been approved, culminating in the recent General Law on Science, Technology, and Innovation.
Martínez Díaz revealed that the law was moved up a year in the legislative agenda after discussions with the President of the Republic. "It was assessed in this way during a meeting with the President, and it was proposed to advance this law in the legislative process," he explained. He emphasized that, thanks to intensive work and extensive debate led by the team in charge, "we can now say that practically the entire regulatory framework needed to conduct science, develop technology, and innovate in our country has been completed."
Regarding the evolution of the National Science, Technology, and Innovation System, the Deputy Prime Minister contrasted the past with the present. He noted that before the revolutionary triumph, "there were practically no scientific institutions." However, today we have more than 272 science, technology, and innovation entities, a sustained growth that includes the increase from three to 50 universities.
He also rejected attempts to downplay these achievements. "These days, it's very common to hear on social media how they try to minimize the results of the Revolution, sometimes even try to obscure them," he stated. On the contrary, he emphasized that today there are thousands of renowned scientists in our country with concrete results that undoubtedly contribute to economic and social development.
Among recent milestones, he mentioned the creation of a new science and technology park and several high-tech companies during the past year. Finally, he detailed that the science and innovation project portfolio comprises nearly 6,000 projects (5,978 to be exact), organized into national, sectoral, territorial, and other non-program-related programs, forming the basis of current scientific development.
In his remarks at the Round Table discussion , Dr. Eduardo Martínez Díaz explained that two years ago an action plan for improving the national science, technology, and innovation system was presented to the National Innovation Council. This plan, which at the time included 18 actions, was approved and made public through an article published on the Cubadebate website.
He explained that all these actions are now part of the government program, specifically strategic objective number 10, within its science and innovation component. The television program also addressed what has transpired and how the program has been implemented under truly complex circumstances, as explained by the Deputy Prime Minister.
Impact of the blockade on Cuban science
Martínez Díaz was emphatic in pointing out the difficulties imposed by US policy. "The intensified blockade and the current fuel shortage significantly affect the development of science," he stated. However, he stressed that "despite this, results are achieved," attributing it to the intelligence of our people and their capacity to innovate and find solutions to ensure projects move forward. He asserted that our science, technology, and innovation system is currently being harmed by this criminal blockade.
To orient science towards solving specific problems
The Pharmasyntez Group, a leader in the Russian pharmaceutical market, and the Cuban Neuroscience Center, belonging to BioCubaFarma, announce the launch of a joint project to develop a new drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
One of the guiding principles of the new approach, he explained, is to orient science and innovation toward solving concrete problems. "We cannot afford—a country with our situation, which is not a country with abundant natural resources—to fail to direct scientific projects toward solving problems," he asserted. He questioned how an institution could work on a hundred projects divorced from the problems we face and called for defining priorities at all levels.
He cited the energy sector as an example: If energy is such a major problem, it's unacceptable that we don't have a significant number of projects dedicated to solving it. He also advocated for greater integration in the design and execution of projects, as well as greater interconnectivity among all participants, "including those who will ultimately benefit from the results."
The Deputy Prime Minister addressed the long-standing problem of shelved research results, a common occurrence in the scientific world. "What are we trying to achieve with this?" he asked. "What we saw at BioCubaFarma showed a way forward: closing the loop, ensuring that scientific results lead to concrete solutions, to practical applications."
He explained that, as part of these actions, a review of the country's project portfolio has been underway since last year, a complex process that will continue throughout 2025 and 2026. This review has already begun to bear fruit: "Last year at this same time we had a little over 6,500 projects, now we have a little less than 6,000," revealed Martínez Díaz, hinting at a streamlining towards those projects with the greatest impact and relevance.
Three national priorities: foreign exchange, energy, and food
The Deputy Prime Minister clarified that clear priorities have been defined within the process of reorienting science. In May 2024, the Council of Ministers approved three major priorities which, while not the only ones, are the focus of the main efforts. "Foreign currency revenue is a problem we currently face when acquiring fuel, raw materials, and food," he explained. "Therefore, any science and innovation project linked to or aimed at creating new exportable products, improving existing products by increasing their added value, or introducing technology that allows us to increase yields and productivity, lower costs, and make us more competitive, must be at this level of priority."
Energy is the second priority. Without energy, food production and the country's economic and social life are severely impacted, stated Martínez Díaz, which is why all projects related to this issue are also a priority. The third priority is food production for the population. At that Council of Ministers meeting, the method for managing these priorities was also approved, he explained, and what we have called strategic government projects that complete the cycle were established.
Strategic government projects: the scientific method applied to management
The scientist also explained that integrated project management is being used as a management method. He described this type of project as a kind of roadmap along which we travel to reach a goal. On this platform, he specified, specific science, technology, and innovation projects converge; investment programs; business models; international and national negotiations; and financial schemes in both foreign and local currency.
"We are using a scientific method," Martínez Díaz emphasized. "Management, project management. Integrated project management is a method, so we want to manage these science and innovation projects in this way."
The example of photovoltaic parks
To illustrate this concept, the Deputy Prime Minister cited the project related to the installation of photovoltaic parks in the country as an example. It was the first project presented to the National Innovation Council, he recalled. He explained that a great deal of science was applied to this project: "It wasn't just about installing panels," he clarified. "Artificial intelligence was used, there were negotiations, innovation projects, investment programs, and financial schemes."
Martínez Díaz announced that several projects of this type have already been structured. Eight of them have been presented to the National Innovation Council, the most recent related to improvements in the oil industry. He emphasized that this type of project allows for a comprehensive approach to a problem, applying science and innovation to achieve a successful solution.
These are the elements—he concluded in this segment—, later we'll talk about another component of this program with Minister Armando. A more comprehensive view of the development of science in the country, but focused directly on solving national problems, and that also has a lot to do with a culture that we, as a people, must continue to acquire in order to work and be more efficient in our results.
Science Law: "the last step on a path that began a long time ago"
For his part, Dr. Armando Rodríguez Batista, Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, elaborated on the significance of the recently approved General Law of Science, Technology and Innovation during the Round Table discussion . "We see the law as the result, the final step on a path that truly began a long time ago," he stated, echoing the Deputy Prime Minister's remarks about the early years of the Revolution.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Environment highlighted the evolution of the Cuban scientific community. "We have seen it grow, develop a sense of belonging, and strive to do better for Cuba," he said. But he emphasized a qualitative shift: "We are no longer just talking about a scientific community, but also about an innovation community."
Innovation: a concept that grows alongside the law
Rodríguez Batista was precise in describing the actors that make up the system today. "To have a science, technology, and innovation system, we need good companies, good entrepreneurs, good farmers, good science communicators, and good people working on quality, metrology, industrial property, and industrial design," he listed. "The concept of innovation," he concluded, "ultimately grows alongside the law. The national innovation system needs science, but it also needs all these other important actors."
The Minister explained that the proposed law was developed by constantly monitoring the evolution of the economy. He cited public-private partnerships for scientific research as an example: "I remember when we were discussing their importance in the working group, and practically at that same moment, the Council of Ministers was reviewing a regulation that would allow a state-owned company to partner with a private company."
Conquests engraved in stone
Rodríguez Batista revealed that the decision to propose to the President that the law be brought forward by a year stemmed from an awareness of the importance of preparing the scientific sector for the economic transformation underway. This allowed for discussions on, among other topics, the participation of Cubans living abroad in the science and innovation system.
The law, he affirmed, “allowed us to enshrine in stone some of the achievements of the last five or ten years,” especially the economic incentives for scientific production and innovation. Today, those who come to Cuba think these things have been in place for a long time, but no, he clarified. It is only five years since researchers, even students, have been paid for their participation in a project.
Among the achievements enshrined in the law, the Minister mentioned:
Participation in royalties from the export of research-derived products.
Intellectual property protection for patent holders.
The possibility that, if a project budgeted for three years is completed in two with validated results, the remaining unspent budget can be distributed among the workers to stimulate activity.
These things are already in the law today,” Rodríguez Batista emphasized. “They are no longer the result of a particular situation or a minister's decree. They are laws of the country. I believe that is also part of the growth. We were able to enact the law because we had spent ten years gradually transforming a number of things.”
What new legal figures are driving innovation in Cuba today?
The science done in Cuba is not just that of laboratories and international awards. It is also that of laws, decrees, technology parks, and intersectoral alliances.
This was made clear in the recent edition of the Round Table , where the Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, Dr. Armando Rodríguez Batista, outlined the foundations of the new Law of Science, Technology and Innovation, recently approved by the National Assembly of People's Power.
What appeared to be a law that suddenly appeared, the minister explained, is actually the culmination of a decade of gradual transformations. "We were able to pass the law because we had spent ten years gradually transforming a number of things," he stated. This entire process, he added, is rooted in the very alignment of the Party Congress, where economics and science were conceived as going hand in hand.
The Minister recalled that many tools that seem natural today were, until recently, unexplored territory.
The same is true of the natural state of things people see today, he said: a science and technology foundation like the University of Havana, or science and technology parks, or interface companies. These are all new entities that emerged to energize innovation.
These structures—which also include the National Association of Innovators and Rationalizers (ANIR)—have grown and matured. The team that worked on the law wasn't just scientists, Rodríguez Batista clarified; they were innovative scientists, and there were colleagues from ANIR who had grown as a team. We all grew; I think we all grew.
It was Parliament, in a gesture of foresight, that granted this regulation the status of a general law, also incorporating recognition and remuneration for the members of the National Association of Innovators and Rationalizers (ANIR). "We have a law," the Minister emphasized, "approved by the National Assembly and soon to be published. It is accompanied by three decrees—complementary regulations already circulated among the relevant agencies—including a decree-law concerning the Cuban Academy of Sciences."
What is the new role of the Cuban Academy of Sciences?
“We began drafting the law by considering the best way to place the Cuban Academy of Sciences within the innovation system,” Rodríguez Batista confessed. Ultimately, according to the decree-law, the Academy becomes an institution subordinate to the Council of Ministers, that is, to the highest level.
"With very clear responsibilities for the governance of the science system," he explained, "because we will always have governing bodies, but there has to be a capacity to constantly draw from the bodies we call the Parliament of Science and the Government. It's like an advisory body for science in Cuba."
The Minister summarized the spirit of the law: It means we have a clear understanding of the governance of the science system. We understand that an actor, however good they may be, if they don't interact properly with us, if there's no communication—in other words, that the whole is much more important than any good part. And I think we've strengthened that.
He recalled that when they first came to the law, some colleagues thought that a good research center was all that mattered and that was enough. We left there making it clear that all those actors and their connections must exist. If the environment isn't conducive, that research center becomes isolated. That vision of the ecosystem—he insisted—is key. Today, Cuba has a much more developed innovation ecosystem, from an institutional standpoint, than it did five years ago.
He also mentioned that over the past three or four years, a government management system based on science and innovation has been consolidated, and that there is a National Innovation Council headed by the President and in which the Prime Minister participates. This structure, he asserted, is mandated by law.
How does science connect with the country's priorities?
The Minister emphasized that the goal of this entire framework is nothing less than transformation. So that knowledge, which may be gathering dust in drawers, as some say, can finally have an impact. So that research is increasingly based on the demands of the business sector—and I'm speaking of the business sector in its broadest sense: the private sector, cooperatives, and the self-employed. And so that Cuban science itself can integrate internationally, which requires not only internal knowledge but also bringing in knowledge from other regions, transferring technology, as Fidel himself often said.
Although the law has not yet been officially published, work is already underway on its implementation. "We have already begun preparing for many scenarios," stated Rodríguez Batista. A team of scientists, led by Dr. Orlando Rodríguez, vice president of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, is developing the National Science and Technology Strategy and defining the country's priorities.
It is clear that fuel, energy, and food production are priorities for Cuba, he acknowledged. But let us always remember that science has this dual responsibility: to address today's urgent needs and also to look toward new biology, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence. This is a natural space for basic science and for other fields that must continue to be developed in Cuba.
In this endeavor, universities play a fundamental role. But the Minister cautioned: I'm not just talking about traditional universities, where people hear "universities" and think of the Ministry of Higher Education. No. Mind you: we have universities of medical sciences, military universities. And there's a key advance: The law makes it very clear that a research center, a science, technology, and innovation entity, and a university are equivalent before the law. The same incentives. We've overcome the barrier where professors received seniority pay and researchers were paid per project. Cuba's human potential belongs to Cuba. That sectoral approach is a thing of the past.
How does this prioritization materialize in national programs?
Today, the country has 17 national programs that focus research on strategic issues. The Minister listed them in detail: food production and agro-industry; sugarcane (not only for its history, but also for its future linked to biotechnology, biomass, and derivatives); aging, mobility, and health; energy, mineral, and sustainable development; biotechnology—currently the program with the largest funding; nanoscience and nanotechnology; climate change adaptation and mitigation; basic and natural sciences; social sciences and humanities; local development; neuroscience; logistics and supply chains; Marxist theory and ideological processes in contemporary Cuban society (developed in conjunction with the Party and the Ministry of Higher Education); leadership activities and work with cadres; and defense-related interests.
Regarding the latter, Rodríguez Batista expressed particular pride: "It's a national program that we keep very much in mind: the Defense University, the Defense Research Center, and a team of researchers who interact very naturally. Defense applications are also applications for civilian life. Almost everything we have there is later used in civilian life."
Furthermore, progress is being made on a digital platform—still in the data entry and organization phase—that will make the scientific output resulting from the System of Programs and Projects publicly available. This platform will offer knowledge to companies, he explained. But we also need to address the needs of businesses. That's why we will soon be conducting the Fourth National Innovation Survey. The Minister did not shy away from the difficulties. Afterwards, the news usually focuses on the suffocating situation, doesn't it? he commented realistically. There you see these scientists speaking out. And they know that today we don't have fuel to carry out an expedition or a collection in a protected area; that limits Cuban science.
Therefore, he explained, they have identified the research and services that cannot be interrupted under any circumstances. They have prioritized, for example, seismology, radiology, and meteorology as systems that must be protected. Because it is a matter of national security, at this most critical juncture.
To illustrate the progress, the minister offered three relevant figures on the Ministry's performance:
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33 innovation-driving structures (science and technology parks, interface companies, foundations) created in recent years.
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6,000 science, technology and innovation projects existing throughout the country (although he specified that by 2026 they have been reduced to 5,282, in a process of concentration: We are reducing the number of projects seeking to concentrate the impact, not due to a lack of funding, but through agreement).
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$240 million received in the last ten years from environmental or climate projects, averaging about $25 million annually.
"That's the amount of funding we, as a Ministry, have received from other countries for environmental and climate projects," he explained. "It's not a large sum, but it has allowed us to equip research centers and allocate state funding to research. We've learned to find those little gaps in funding, both in the environmental sector and in other areas."
The Minister also highlighted that 51 percent of the workers linked to the science system are women, and that work is underway to update municipal development strategies, the National Innovation Award for Local Development, the alternative calculation of the Global Innovation Index for Cuba, and the teaching of Marxism-Leninism and the history of Cuba.
How are Cuban scientists and innovators encouraged?
"Human potential is paramount for us," Rodríguez Batista stated. "And we must be consistent with that. Clearly, economic limitations work against what we want to achieve. Anything we do for our researchers is worthwhile."
The law creates a new instrument: the designation of Distinguished Figure of Science, conceived as a prestigious institution. This is in addition to the Carlos J. Finlay Orders and other recognitions. But there are some awards that the Minister values particularly: the National Innovation Awards, presented just a week before his speech.
“This year we had 11 national innovation awards,” he reported. “Generally, national innovation awards are no longer just for good scientists. They are for good scientists who saw their research through to the end. That’s why we give them special significance.” Among the award winners, he mentioned four from the health sector, three from agriculture, one from engineering, and one related to territorial development. One of these was the Vaxira therapeutic vaccine from the Center for Molecular Immunology, for the treatment of lung cancer.
This has been in place for a very long time. It has saved lives, it has given people more time with their families. And you don't have to go to a specialized center: it's available through the National Health System. He also highlighted the implementation of the program for conducting oncology clinical trials in primary healthcare, an award that recognized the Center for Molecular Immunology as well as the Villa Clara branch. "That award has 200 authors," he emphasized. "It's an example of how innovation demands a lot of participation, a lot of people contributing."
Another notable case is the organic potato production based on agroecological principles, by Dr. Giraldo Martín. "When we published that result, there was a debate not only about the result itself, but also about agroecology. A result that has a technical impact also generates an impact on the dissemination of scientific knowledge to the masses. Scientific communication is as important as the result itself," the Minister reflected.
Rodríguez Batista recounted that during the awards ceremony, they made the effort to broadcast it live so that the researchers could share the moment with their families. Giraldo said, "I'm going to watch everything later with my family." Behind every scientist, every professor, every researcher, there are countless people supporting them. That's part of the message we want to encourage and convey.
Finally, the Minister emphasized the need to bring science to the local level. “We can’t aspire to have a university or research center in every municipality,” he said. “But we must equip our municipalities with working groups capable of managing knowledge and seeking that knowledge wherever it may be: in the local area itself, at the university, or at the research center. That is the essence of a science- and innovation-based governance system.”
With a law that articulates, recognizes, and projects, and with an institutional framework that has continued to grow even in times of hardship, Cuba demonstrates once again that science, more than a luxury, is a matter of sovereignty. And that every researcher, every innovator, every family that supports them, is an indispensable link in the chain of the future.
Advances in biotechnology and biodiversity
At another point in the program, the Minister highlighted the development of the Thalassia project, focused on the study of the seagrass known by that name, initially investigated for its environmental value. He explained that the first scientific evidence revealed photoprotective and antioxidant effects, which opened new lines of research. "We began studying the antitumor effect of thalassia in mice, and its impact was surprising," he noted.
Based on these results, partnerships were established with BioCubaFarma and the Ministry of Public Health to advance clinical trials for the treatment of cervical and colon cancer. In this regard, he emphasized that institutional cooperation is key to translating scientific findings into concrete healthcare applications.
International recognition and environmental policy
Rodríguez Batista highlighted that in 2025 Cuba received the medal awarded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in recognition of the National Biodiversity Program.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA) stated that one of the distinguishing elements of Cuban environmental policy is its scientific basis. "The most important thing about the environment in Cuba is that it has science behind it to support environmental protection," he noted.
He also reported on the existence of joint projects with countries such as China, Vietnam and Russia, focused on scientific development and sustainability.
Results of the science and innovation system in 2025
As part of his intervention in the Round Table , the Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Eduardo Martínez Díaz, emphasized the need to measure science with greater objectivity, especially in strategic areas for the development of the country.
He noted that the main challenges include increasing the added value of products, introducing new technologies, generating patents, and increasing scientific publications. "We need to produce technologies and products and commercially export patents," he stated, while also acknowledging the need to strengthen the culture of intellectual property within the scientific sector.
Martínez Díaz reported that 395 new products and 126 technologies were introduced in 2025, many of them related to the defense sector. In addition, ten new patents were granted, and more than 6,000 scientific publications were produced, although this last figure showed a decrease compared to previous years.
He highlighted that knowledge contributed 55 percent to exports. However, he stressed the need to further increase that contribution.
The Deputy Prime Minister also mentioned BioCubaFarma's acquisition of 50 percent of the shares of a company in Vietnam, as part of the internationalization strategy.
In this area, he considered that one of the main challenges is to properly value the assets generated by science, so that they translate into economic and social benefits.
Development of science and public policy
Martínez Díaz emphasized the importance of promoting the social sciences, and highlighted the work of the Institute of Pedagogical Science, which he described as generating top-level results.
In this context, he reported on the development of an instrument for the characterization of vulnerable households, which will be applied nationwide with the aim of more accurately diagnosing the living conditions of this population sector, in order to develop subsequent strategies for their care.
He also addressed the approval of the National Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence, and reported that more than 100 AI-based solutions have been implemented in sectors such as Health and Energy, demonstrating the country's progress in this area.
The Deputy Prime Minister explained the development of the so-called "new biology", a result of the integration between biological sciences, data science and engineering.
In this field, work is being done on building complete metabolic pathways for microorganisms, supported by high levels of automation through artificial intelligence.
He also highlighted advances in research on metabolic memory, the results of which have been published in scientific articles and have significant relevance.
Among the concrete results, he mentioned the development of Jusvinza, a product with the ability to induce immunological tolerance and with potential in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Martínez Díaz emphasized that this result is the fruit of solid work in basic science, which demonstrates the importance of strengthening this type of research.
He also highlighted the development of world-class neurosurgical techniques in the country, particularly in minimally invasive procedures.
The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that, despite material limitations, Cuba continues to generate scientific and technological results.
"The goal is to continue promoting science," said the Deputy Prime Minister, who acknowledged that achieving the necessary results for the country's development requires a sustained effort in the current context.
