Cuba has launched a sweeping reorganization of its national science framework, positioning research and innovation at the core of its economic strategy as the country grapples with persistent external constraints. The overhaul, anchored by the newly approved General Law on Science, Technology, and Innovation, signals a decisive effort by Cuba to modernize its scientific ecosystem and align it with national development priorities.
Senior officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Eduardo Martínez Díaz and Science Minister Armando Rodríguez Batista, described the reform as the culmination of more than a decade of gradual transformation. The updated legal framework reinforces principles set out in the 2019 Constitution, which mandates state support for scientific advancement as a driver of economic and social progress. Authorities say the legislation provides the structural backbone needed to integrate research more effectively into the country’s development agenda.
The scale of Cuba’s scientific expansion is notable. From having virtually no research institutions before the Cuban Revolution, the country now hosts over 272 science and innovation entities and 50 universities. Its current portfolio includes nearly 6,000 projects spanning national, sectoral, and regional priorities, though officials plan to streamline efforts to just over 5,200 initiatives by 2026 to improve efficiency and resource allocation.
However, the transformation unfolds under significant pressure from the long-standing economic embargo imposed by the United States. Cuban officials argue that tightened sanctions and fuel shortages continue to constrain research and development, though they credit domestic innovation and human capital for sustaining progress despite these limitations.
At the policy level, the government has defined three strategic priorities: generating foreign currency, advancing energy solutions, and strengthening food production. Scientific projects aligned with export growth, productivity gains, and value-added industries are being fast-tracked under an integrated management model that combines research, investment, and business development into unified programs.
The system is already producing measurable outputs. In 2025 alone, Cuba introduced nearly 400 new products and more than 120 technologies, alongside securing 10 patents and publishing over 6,000 scientific papers. Knowledge-based activities now account for more than half of the country’s exports, underscoring the growing economic role of innovation, though officials acknowledge further expansion is needed.
Biotechnology remains a flagship sector. Projects such as Talasia, which explores the medical potential of seagrass compounds, have advanced to clinical trials targeting cancer treatment. State-run biotech group BioCubaFarma is also expanding internationally, including acquiring a stake in a Vietnamese firm as part of a broader globalization strategy.
Emerging technologies are another focal point. Cuba has deployed more than 100 artificial intelligence applications across sectors like healthcare and energy, while also investing in “new biology,” an interdisciplinary field combining biological sciences, data analytics, and engineering to develop advanced metabolic systems. Breakthroughs such as the immunomodulatory drug Jusvinza and innovations in minimally invasive neurosurgery highlight the country’s ambitions to remain competitive in high-value scientific domains.
With more than half of its scientific workforce made up of women, Cuba’s evolving research system reflects both structural reform and social inclusion. Despite ongoing economic constraints, the government maintains that science will remain a cornerstone of national resilience and a critical engine for future growth.
