The revenue of Iranian tech firms and knowledge-based companies exceeded 130 trillion rials ($802.4 million) in the last Iranian year (ended March 19, 2020), the dean of Amir Kabir University of Technology said.
Ahmad Motamedi reported the figure on Monday, during a videoconference with President Hassan Rouhani, Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari, Science Minister Mansour Gholami and directors of tech parks, Peivast.com reported.
State officials expect the year-on-year income to jump with the sudden outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease late last year, as the technology ecosystem has boosted the production of health and medical products to ward off the virus.
President Rouhani acknowledged the non-stop endeavors of knowledge-based companies and said the ability to address domestic demands, expand health and medicinal exports during the spread of COVID-19, promote self-sufficiency and develop knowledge-based economy reflects the scientific capacities of tech units.
“Strengthening ties among the academia, producers and technology ecosystem is a necessity and definitely beneficial for all three sectors,” he added.
Rouhani noted that knowledge-based companies and startups in tech parks can more specifically work on the coronavirus disease to enhance the health system’s capability in the fields of diagnosis, prevention and health equipment production.
The coronavirus has so far infected 3,308,643 people around the world, claiming the lives of 234,123. The number of recovered cases has reached 1,042,981, according to Reuters reporting on Friday.
Iran reported the virus outbreak in mid-February, which has so far taken the lives of 6,028 people out of a total of 94,640 infected people.
According to Iran’s Health Ministry, 75,103 patients have so far recovered from the disease.
Tech Achievements
On Thursday, Reza Malekzadeh, research deputy at the Health Ministry, said currently 1,200 academic research projects are underway specifically on the acute respiratory disease.
The official is optimistic that the results of these projects will soon enable the Iranian technology ecosystem to develop advanced health and medical products.
In early April, Sattari elaborated on the latest achievements of knowledge-based companies and startups working in different medical fields.
He said several studies have been conducted on the nature of COVID-19 in collaboration with the academia and tech firms to help develop health protective products.
“Fortunately, these endeavors have paid off, as different types of coronavirus test kits, which work with blood samples and saliva, have been successfully mass-produced by domestic tech firms. This can help test several million people per week,” he said.
Sattari noted that hospitals are not facing any shortage of devices, including CT scanners, ventilators, ICU and surgery room equipment, oxygen concentrators and BiPAP machines.
“Surgical and N95 facemasks are being produced in the country and soon 40 new production lines will supplement the current capacity,” he said.
The official said the government’s huge investment in the development of knowledge-based companies has paid off, as tech-based businesses are considerably assisting the country’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the vice presidential office, over 4,700 knowledge-based companies are currently active in the country, around 400 of which have focused their activities on COVID-19.
Tehran’s Tech Centers
Extending support to new startups and technology firms has been on the government's agenda since 2013 when President Hassan Rouhani began his first term in office.
Over the past few years, numerous tech parks have been established throughout the country.
Currently, there are seven tech parks in Tehran Province, most of which are backed by major Iranian universities, including Tarbiat Modares University, University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University and Islamic Azad University.
These tech parks carry the name of universities backing them.
Pardis Technology Park in eastern Tehran also has strong ties with the academia.
The establishment of innovations factories in Iran is also witnessing a rising trend.
The first such center dubbed Azadi Innovation Factory was launched in August 2018 at an abandoned chemicals factory near Azadi Square, west of Tehran. The center is backed by the Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology and is managed by Sharif University of Technology.
Highway, the capital's second innovation factory, is under construction. The factory is being established in an old building near Tehran’s Nobonyad Square.
Based on an agreement between the office and Tehran Municipality, abandoned buildings will be transformed into tech hubs for fostering innovative ideas.
Nationwide Push
Tehran is not alone in its push for establishing innovation factories and tech parks. Numerous centers have also been launched across Iran.
Innovation factories are to be launched in Iranian metropolises by the vice presidential office to expand the startup and knowledge-based ecosystems.
According to Esmaeil Qaderifar, an official with the office, innovation factory projects in the provinces of Khorasan Razavi and East Azarbaijan are almost complete and will become operational in the near future.
“Tabriz in East Azarbaijan will get its third innovation factory when a construction project is completed,” he said.
"Feasibility studies are underway in Fars, Isfahan and Yazd provinces for introducing similar projects."
Qaderifar noted that the new projects resemble innovation factories in Tehran, namely Azadi and Highway, which have attracted and housed numerous tech teams and startups.
“Provincial projects have also been established in abandoned factories to keep the projects cost-efficient,” he said.
The Roads and Urban Development Ministry, municipalities and governorates in the host cities are assisting the vice presidential office in implementing these projects.
At the innovation factories, startups and knowledge-based companies find legal, technical and financial support to develop their activities.
