New projects have been inaugurated in the northwestern province of Qazvin to expand technological facilities for fledgling startups and knowledge-based companies.
During a visit to the province on Tuesday, Sorena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology, accompanied by several provincial managers, launched several tech projects and visited an exhibition of innovative products, the vice presidential office’s website Isti.ir reported.
Qazvin’s specialized innovation center was the first project inaugurated at the province’s tech park. The project, supported by the vice presidential office, is aimed at nurturing innovative ideas and accelerating the development of tech ecosystem in the region.
Around 30 knowledge-based companies and startup teams, working on herbal medicine, information technologies and the internet of things, have already settled in the center.
Another project launched by Sattari was a center for cultural, art and industrial innovation, which is to be built at Sa'd al-Saltaneh Caravanserai, a Qajar era (1789-1925) site at the province.
He also inaugurated the second phase of an innovation center at Qazvin’s Islamic Azad University. The building provides 7,000 square meters of working space for tech units, including a separate section for 12-18-year-old tech-savvy students.
Later the same day, Sattari visited a small-scale exhibition of products developed by startups and knowledge-based companies at Qazvin Tech Park.
The products mostly included medical protection items, such as face masks, ventilators, disinfectant cabins and machines.
Underlining the untapped tech potentials in Qazvin, Sattari said the huge tech savvy workforce and numerous professional graduates in the province can make a massive contribution to developing Iran’s technology ecosystem
Underlining the untapped tech potentials in Qazvin, Sattari said the huge innovative workforce and numerous professional graduates in the province can make massive contribution to developing Iran’s technology ecosystem.
“The pertinent infrastructures are already available for the move and we only have to remove the barriers in strategic and managerial fields,” he said.
Financial resources for expanding the startup ecosystem are provided by the vice presidential office and growth centers, he added, noting that to complete the circle and make a positive move in materializing a knowledge-based economy, the authorities should show understanding and undertake coordination.
Sattari further said that the absence of a provincial research and technology fund in Qazvin has discouraged the development of fledgling and small tech units.
“To compensate the gap, a tech fund will soon be launched in the province,” he said.
The vice president lamented the fact that no special change is evident in the universities’ approach toward tech firms and knowledge-based units.
“Growth and development in different fields will take place only when academic institutions and universities revise their agendas to solve people’s daily problems and contribute to the country’s development,” he said.
Industrial Technology Growing
In Tehran, officials have announced that the first mining industry’s tech center will be established in Iran.
During a Tuesday event in Tehran, Kambiz Mehdizadeh, senior advisor to the vice president, met Pejman Rahimian, the deputy head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and discussed the center’s details.
Mehdizadeh said the innovation center will be focused on providing specialized research infrastructures in the field of mining, supporting innovative projects, helping them in marketing their products and entering the larger economic world.
He added that specialized accelerators and private investors will be gathered in the would-be center.
“Working spaces will be offered to knowledge-based companies for six months as an initial service. Financial aid will also be provided to eligible firms,” he added.
The adviser said the ground can be prepared for conducting medical and marine geological research and utilize the results in mining industries.
In addition, he said, the attainments and history of domestic mining industries can be featured in a specialized museum for the general public.
These efforts are aimed at tapping the tech ecosystem’s potentials to curb the country’s dependency on foreign resources and oil-revenues.
Multidimensional Support
The Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology has been a staunch supporter of startups since President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013 and set policies for promoting the tech ecosystem.
Suggesting several measures to ease the hardships of knowledge-based companies and startups, Sattari had earlier said knowledge-based firms and startups need not grapple with basic requirements.
“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 the 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 financial 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 develop technology ecosystem.
Establishing shared workplaces and offering financial aid are among services offered to knowledge-based units, besides technical, legal and commercial consultancy.
