Tech parks are sprouting throughout Iran, with officials pouring resources into the projects for boosting the country’s tech ecosystem.
Several technology projects are on track in major Iranian cities, including an innovation factory in the shrine city of Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi, along with tech infrastructural projects in Semnan, the center of the namesake province, and in Gorgan, Golestan province.
Mashhad’s Mayor Mohammad Reza Kalaei said a new innovation factory will be launched in the city this week, Shahrara news reported.
Located near Ferdowsi University, the factory is spread over 12,000 square meters.
“An abandoned soft drinks factory has been repurposed and retrofitted. The factory offers shared workspace, laboratory, innovation rooms for children, training hall, amphitheater, content development class, network development service center and a café,” Kalaei said.
“The former soft drinks factory is one of the oldest industrial constructions in the city. Turning a literally idle space into a center for nourishing the youth’s innovative ideas is an unparalleled event in the history of Mashhad.”
The mayor noted that the factory is set to commercialize the business ideas of startup teams and generate income for the teams and added value for the city.
Its proximity to the university would give startups an opportunity to interact with academia and use their knowledge and experience, he added.
In mid-October, another innovation factory called Vita was launched in the vicinity of Ferdowsi University.
The project was financed by Tehran’s Sharif University of Technology and Astan Quds Razavi, a charitable organization that manages economic enterprises endowed to the holy shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH), the eighth Shia Imam.
This factory specializes in the restoration of medical equipment and clinical devices. The overhaul of medical devices, such as ventilators, CT scanners and air purifiers, can help save $420 million.
Speaking at the inaugural event, the factory’s CEO Malekzadeh said, “The innovation center’s activities will conform to international standards under the direct supervision of the National Medical Device Directorate.”
The center has already attracted 40 professionals in the fields of nuclear medicine and biomedical engineering.
Semnan Project
Work is on track in Semnan Province for establishing a science and technology park.
Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology's Garmsar branch in Semnan and managers of Garmsar Special Economic Zone are working on the project.
During a meeting to discuss the project on Monday, Fatemeh Mansouri, a deputy governor general, said a draft map has been designed and an area has been designated for the park.
“The project’s required infrastructure will be developed in collaboration with the ICT Ministry,” he said.
Mansouri emphasized that the park would focus on information and communications technologies, therefore identifying and attracting successful startup accelerators should be considered.
“The planned tech park will be able to provide fledgling startups and knowledge-based companies with worspace and laboratory facilities, along with legal and technical support from mentors and law specialists,” she said.
The official noted that the startups and tech firms will also be able to forge ties with commercial units and potential sponsors based in GSEZ to accelerate their growth.
“GSEZ and the businesses it hosts will also be able to use the talented teams based in the tech park and apply smart solutions to their businesses,” she added.
Tech Support in Golestan
Besides workspace, knowledge-based companies and startups require financial aid to flourish.
To support the technology ecosystem, private investors have joined Golestan Tech Park and the local universities in launching a research and technology fund in the northern province of Golestan.
According to Mehdi Ghaffari, the head of the tech park, the fund has been established with an initial capital of 50 billion rials ($192,000).
“The fund’s resources are expected to increase when more investors join hands and provide fledgling startups with grants and cheap loans,” he said.
A couple of months ago, a provincial research and innovation fund was launched by the Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology with an initial investment of 50 billion rials ($192,000).
The fund is tasked with offering low-interest lending to boost the implementation of innovative projects.
The funds will be complementary to the several technology centers that came on stream in Golestan in October.
Vice President Sorena Sattari inaugurated an innovation center specialized in health tech, the first phase of an innovation factory in Golestan Tech Park and a tech center at Islamic Azad University of Aliabad County.
In addition, 10,000 square meters of land in Aq-Qala Industrial Park was allocated to 10 knowledge-based companies for building and expanding their businesses. Another 6,000 square meters have been earmarked for the development of infrastructure required for the park.
Speaking at the inaugural event, Sattari said Golestan is joining nationwide efforts to promote tech-based achievements, however much work needs to be done in the province.
“The tech ecosystem in Golestan is expected to accelerate growth. The move definitely needs the vice presidential office’s strong support for provincial officials. Golestan’s huge but untapped potentials in the field should be harnessed,” he added.
Nationwide Efforts
Extending support to new startups and technology firms has been on the government's agenda since 2013 when President Hassan Rouhani started his first tenure.
Over the past few years, numerous tech parks and innovation factories have been established throughout the country to offer shared workspace and other facilities to tech units.
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.
Innovation factories in Tehran, such as Azadi and Highway, have also attracted numerous tech teams and startups.
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 Nobonyad Square on the northeastern flank of Tehran.
Tehran is not alone in its push for establishing innovation factories and tech parks. Numerous centers have also been launched across Iran.
The vice presidential office is developing innovation factories in Iranian metropolises like Zanjan, Isfahan, Tabriz, Karaj and Yazd to expand startup and knowledge-based ecosystems.
At the innovation factories, startups and knowledge-based companies find legal, technical and financial help to develop their activities.
With the extension of infrastructural and financial support, those who are active in the tech ecosystem are propelling Iran’s domestic production sector to end the economy’s oil dependency and help overcome sanctions.
