To strengthen technological ties with regional countries, Iran has launched talks with Uzbekistan about establishing a science and technology center in Tashkent, the country's capital city.
Officials from the state-backed Iran National Innovation Fund discussed the initiative with Mostafa Goudarzi, Iran’s commercial counselor in Tashkent, during an online meeting on Sunday, Inif.ir reported.
According to Marzieh Shavardi, the head of INIF's Empowerment Office, Iran intends to expand tech activities in the target country in the areas of health, advanced materials, herbal medicine and telecommunication infrastructure.
"A tech center in Tashkent can serve as a shared workspace for the two countries' tech teams and companies, as well as a permanent fair for introducing Iranian innovative products to the regional market," she explained.
According to Shavardi, INIF helps candidate tech teams expand their businesses in the foreign market through various support plans such as export empowerment, network creation and financial aid packages.
The fund also provides training and consultation to tech firms for achieving standards, protecting intellectual property and obtaining professional export certificates.
Speaking at the same meeting, Goudarzi stated that following the coronavirus outbreak in the early 2020, Uzbekistan prioritized scientific and technological development, recognizing its importance in a variety of fields, despite the country's valuable achievements.
"Uzbek tech authorities aim to promote biotechnology, artificial intelligence, permanent product manufacturing and cutting-edge construction materials with the help of local knowledge-based firms and foreign partners such as Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia," he added.
According to the official, Uzbekistan's government is willing to accept the presence of over 100 Iranian knowledge-based companies in its tech parks, providing them with the necessary business facilities.
The country has begun to invest in the establishment of tech parks and is providing financial assistance to startups.
According to Goudarzi, this could be an opportunity for collaboration between the two countries.
"Iranian technology teams and startups should take this chance, as it will not only allow them to broaden their export horizons, but also serves as a springboard into larger markets at the continental and higher levels," he added.
Previous Regional Efforts
Iran’s efforts for expanding technological ties with foreign countries have gained momentum in the past few years, as a solution for the country to expand tech exports and slash dependency on oil-based revenue.
In October 2020, Russia called for establishing stronger ties with Iran in ICT and space technology fields.
In addition, Russia hosted several Iranian commercial and tech delegations in the past year, including the 15th International Aviation and Space Salon (also known as MAKS Air Show) in the city of Zhukovsky in August 2019 and the INNOPROM International Industrial Trade Fair in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in July 2019.
Underlining the promising results of these visits, the ex-vice president for science and technology, Sorena Sattari, told reporters that Russian tech firms have shown readiness to forge ties with Iranian knowledge-based companies, especially in the fields of nanotechnology, biotechnology, space, aviation, cognitive sciences and new energies.
“As a result, an Iranian knowledge-based company signed a €2 million deal with a Russian company on the sidelines of the MAKS Air Show. Iranian tech firms also won accolades at Azerbaijan's high-tech exhibition called Bakutel 2019,” he said.
Iran’s strong presence in such events can increase the prospects of Iranian startups finding customers in the host countries, which are potential markets for innovative products and services.
Earlier in September 2019, an Iranian delegation attended the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications Conference held in the Kazakh capital, Nur-Sultan.
Iran’s former ICT minister, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, met Kazakhstan’s Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Askar Zhumagaliyev and discussed expansion of ICT infrastructures in rural and urban areas and digitalization of businesses.
To expand ties with Kazakhstan, Jahromi called for holding joint exhibitions and conferences in the field of information and communications technologies. He also invited Kazakh ICT officials and tech teams to visit Iran's annual technological exhibitions like Elecomp.
Iran and Armenia are also working on the joint establishment of technology parks and the development of communication infrastructure.
Overseas Tech Hubs
In another attempt to strengthen the country’s scientific and economic ties with regional countries and allow local knowledge-based businesses to market and sell their products, Iran has established tech hubs in Syria, China and Kenya.
The centers will offer shared workspace and space for a permanent exhibition to knowledge-based enterprises.
Iranian tech enterprises, according to officials, can utilize the facility to boost cooperation with foreign peers, in addition to marketing their products and finding production partners.
The tech centers will also undertake market research, advertisement, sales and product registration.
The Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology plans to establish similar hubs in four states, namely Russia, Iraq, Malaysia and Oman, by the end of the current fiscal year (March 2022), in order to boost tech exports.
Although progressing slowly, Iran's investments in promoting the national tech ecosystem and introducing the country's potentials to the regional market have been successful.
Lending support to the development of startups and knowledge-based companies has been high on the government's agenda since 2013.
