With the support of the Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology, several tech centers have been inaugurated in Shiraz, the provincial center of Fars.
During a visit to the city on Tuesday, Sorena Sattari, the vice president opened the centers and browsed innovative items developed by local tech firms and startups, his office’s website Isti.ir reported.
The first inaugurated project was an innovation center at Shiraz University of Technology, spread over 375 square meters, which already accommodates seven tech teams.
The university is intended to offer mentorship to startups in a variety of fields and help them commercialize their products.
According to the center’s managers, budding tech teams’ interaction with their peers and academia accelerates their technical and scientific competence.
Sattari launched another academia-backed tech center at the Shiraz University of Medical Science.
The center covers a 250-sqm land in the university campus and is aimed at gathering entrepreneurs, the elite and tech enthusiasts to nurture their unique ideas.
The third project was a production line for automotive electronic components, launched by a local knowledge-based company, Andisheh Electronics.
Eight high-tech electronic auto parts, including central lock and computer control systems, are expected to be developed by the company.
According to Andisheh Electronics, the targeted parts are being imported at high prices and the localization effort will hugely reduce the capital flight.
The State University of Shiraz has also become home to two new tech centers, namely the second phase of Fars Innovative Valley and the human sciences tech center.
According to the university authorities, the Fars Innovative Valley project is jointly managed by the university and the city’s science and technology park.
Shared workspaces, workshops and offices are provided for startups and knowledge-based companies in the valley.
The project’s first phase was inaugurated last year in the summer, gathering a group of accelerator teams, investors and mentors to help promote the local technology ecosystem.
The human science innovation center, spanning over 600 sqm, is designed to accommodate 15 tech teams and two accelerators. Startups active in law, science, politics, innovative industries, management and art have an opportunity to join the center.
During his trip, Sattari visited a small exhibition held in the city’s tech park and surveyed the state-of-the-art tech pproducts developed by the local startups.
Academia Steps In
In a similar move by the academia, Tehran-based Shahid Beheshti University opened 10 innovation centers to strengthen ties between the university and Iran’s startup ecosystem.
Established with the financial support of the vice presidential office, the innovation centers are specialized in medical technologies, human sciences, computer engineering, psychology, geology, urban development, literature, theology, architecture and power engineering.
The centers help tech teams interact with the university’s scientific faculty and students, and exchange experiences. They will be able to benefit from the startup accelerators and growth centers based in the university’s tech park.
Sattari promised that his office will offer financial aid to tech teams for developing and commercializing their innovative ideas.
“Universities should identify market demands and develop novel solutions to address them while encouraging students to work in those fields,” he added.
Sa’dollah Nassiri-Qeidari, the head of the university’s tech park, said tech centers will focus on problem-oriented research projects.
“Some of the projects handled by the center’s tech teams include fiber optic sensors, optogenetics, photonics, micro-fluids and optical brain imaging, which are mostly derived from the students’ dissertation projects,” he said.
“Supporting such studies will guarantee that tech teams devise solutions for bridging the technological gaps in domestic industries.”
Ongoing Trend
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.
The capital city 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.
