Several new projects have been inaugurated in the western province of Hamedan to expand technological facilities and give a boost to fledgling startups and knowledge-based companies.
During a daylong trip to the province on Saturday, Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari inaugurated several projects and attended a gathering of tech firms, the vice presidential office’s website Isti.ir reported.
Sattari officially inaugurated a section of Hamedan’s Science and Technology Park, which had already started absorbing tech firms and startups, providing them with workplaces and related facilities.
The whole park is designed as a 6,000-square-meter building, the construction of which started in 2010.
During his visit to the place, Sattari broke ground on the park’s second phase. He also attended the inauguration of research, technology and innovation fund, which is backed by four private and four state-affiliated investors.
During a videoconference event in the province, Sattari inaugurated four innovation centers. They are namely social innovation center (set up in collaboration with Imam Khomeini Relief Committee), cooperatives’ tech center (developed with the help of Directorate General of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare), a tech center for grape cultivation and related fields, plus a multi-purpose innovation center in Nahavand County.
Addressing the inaugural event, Sattari said although Hamedan is comparatively delayed in its efforts to join the move for developing a technology ecosystem, the results will help the local economy develop.
“Backing the presence of the knowledge-based firms and startups at the international level and featuring their products in the target countries’ markets are high on the Vice Presidential Office’s agenda for the current Iranian year (started March 21),” he added.
The move is focused to boost the export of innovative items and strengthen the role of the tech ecosystem in curbing Iran’s dependency on the oil-based economy, he said.
Sattari officially inaugurated a section of Hamedan’s Science and Technology Park, which had already started attracting tech firms and startups, providing them with workplaces and related facilities
Taking the domestic demand, Sattari added, the knowledge-based units are also applauded to work on the crucial products with high consumption inside the country, which had been supplied from foreign resources before the US sanction limited Iran’s international economic relations.
Shifting focus on financial resources specified for the tech ecosystem, Sattari said, fortunately, Iran National Innovation Fund which is affiliated to the vice presidential office, and the National Development Fund are ardent supporters of the fledgling startups and tech firms. They charge the young tech ecosystem with loans, grants and investments to push them towards becoming independent and strong businesses, he noted.
The vice president advised startups and tech firms to use the services and financial assistance offered by university-based funds and innovation factories to develop their activities.
Later the same day, Sattari visited startups and their achievements at the city’s tech parks.
There are 162 tech teams and 23 knowledge-based companies active in the province, which were created in Bu-Ali Sina University and Hamedan University of Medical Sciences. They have collectively earned 830 billion rials ($3.5 million) in the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2020).
The technology ecosystem in Hamedan has created job opportunities for over 1,100 people.
More Facilities
Providing multi-dimensional support to the technology ecosystem has been high on the government’s agenda since President Hassan Rouhani’s first tenure commenced in 2013.
In line with this agenda, the construction of innovation factories, tech centers and accelerators in Iranian metropolises has gained momentum over the past few years.
One of the latest initiatives is the establishment of an accelerator specialized in social entrepreneurship, which is a joint initiative between the vice presidential office and the Iranian Institute of Social Business Supporters, a non-governmental center.
Social entrepreneurship is an approach by groups, startups or entrepreneurs that develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural and environmental issues. This concept may be applied to a wide range of organizations that pursue different objectives.
The accelerator is focused on tapping the hidden potentials of rural and less developed areas to create jobs and develop micro-businesses. It will also offer mentorship and financial assistance to social entrepreneurs working on innovative business ideas.
Problem Solving Ideas
The vice presidential office has been a staunch supporter of startups, making efforts to remove barriers in the tech ecosystem’s path.
Suggesting several measures to ease the hardships of knowledge-based companies and startups, Sattari earlier said these firms and startups need not grapple with basic requirements.
“The tech units should not be worried about the lack of a workplace. In case there is any incomplete or abandoned building, my office will finance their restoration and preparation for startup use,” he said.
He added that insurance and tax fees should be waived for tech units. “Establishing an office to specifically address such issues can help them get rid of frustrating processes and extra expenses,” he said.
“The relevant resources should also be adequate to meet the units’ financial needs in the form of loans and grants.”
Sattari emphasized that promoting a knowledge-based economy is the most efficient and affordable strategy to address the current economic headwinds and remove impediments in the way of boosting domestic production.
For promoting a knowledge-based economy, Iranian officials believe that the conventional oil-based economic system should be upgraded and the country’s reliance on natural resource revenues must be minimized.
To achieve this aim, authorities have been taking measures to support tech firms, boost Iranian startups and promote the technology ecosystem.
