Research is a necessary pre-requisite for sustainable planned development and the country’s research potentials must be fostered and promoted, said Vahid Ahmadi, deputy of research and technology at the ministry of science.
During the past few years, universities have successfully trained human resources. “There are now 4.5 million graduates, 500,000 master degree holders, 50,000 PhDs and 50,000 university professors in the country. Also, 1,000 research centers, 34 science and research parks, 200 scientific centers exist. Further, 1,000 scholarly journals are published annually. All these facts speak of Iran’s rich research potentials,” ILNA quoted the official as saying.
Universities and industry must collaborate and boost production to achieve the highest national development of the country. “Availability of skilled human resources and researchers in excess can be challenging if enough job opportunities do not exist. The necessary pre-conditions and infrastructure need to be provided and planning and entrepreneurship should be given more attention to make use of the potentials that can stimulate the dynamic progress of the country,” he added.
There are currently 5,000 knowledge-based companies in the country focusing on research-based production. Knowledge-based companies and research parks have the necessary facilities to put research to practical use. Manufacturing companies and factories should make use of the end-results of research in their products; thus retailers will also show a wider interest in domestic production.
In the current Fifth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2011-2016) three percent of the funds have been earmarked for research, of which only one percent has been allocated. Organizations are also required to keep aside three percent of their budget to research programs; however, since the necessary monitoring is not carried out for this purpose, many organizations have failed to do so. Mandatory and promotional measures need to be taken to ascertain that organizations take research more seriously, the official added.
Knowledge-Based Economy
Meanwhile, deputy of innovation and commercializing technology of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, Mahmoud Sheikh-Zeinoddin, said development will occur in provinces whose governors promote science and technology. Provinces which have advanced considerably in knowledge-based economy owe it to the special attention given by the highest provincial authorities.
He was addressing a recent meeting on the ‘Fifth National Festival and Exhibition from Knowledge to Implementation,’ in which deputy governors from all provinces took part.
The festival portrayed a clear image of the current status of each province in commercializing technology and to precisely clarify the provincial role in knowledge-based development, the official noted.
Private sector participation is also essential and provincial officials should support non-governmental knowledge-based companies and provide the necessary assistance to advance the development of science and technology.
Fortunately, knowledge-based economy has been given priority in Iran’s Sixth Five-year Economic Development Plan (2016-2021), he added.
