Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology has launched technology centers in two Iranian cities to boost technological development and provide workspace for knowledge-based companies.
During a visit late last week, Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari inaugurated four tech centers specialized in geological, water, energy and agricultural fields at Semnan’s Science and Technology Park, SNN reported.
A training program has also been launched by the office named “Rouyesh” (meaning growth in Persian) at the park with an investment of 140 billion rials ($560,000). The private sector has also invested in the training program.
The centers launched in Semnan include 12 workshops spread over 2,100 square meters, providing shared workplace for tech teams and knowledge-based companies working on crops and machinery, water management, new energies, mining industries and geology.
The second project was a startup growth center accommodating around 40 tech teams working on the aforementioned subjects. Besides providing financial support for the fledgling tech teams to flourish, startup growth centers offer more sophisticated technical and commercial mentorship compared to regular tech centers.
During his trip, Sattari inaugurated another innovation center fully sponsored by private investors. The center is mandated to gather startups and tech firms working on water, energy and agriculture.
According to provincial officials, over 10 tech firms have already moved into the center to go through pre-acceleration and acceleration stages. Firms with a proven capacity will receive larger investments.
To unlock the region’s mining and geological potentials via modern technologies, Sattari cut the ribbon at the launch of a tech center focused on mining industries.
The project is jointly implemented by the vice presidential office and the state-owned Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization.
The center is aimed at nurturing tech firms in geology, geotourism and technologies pertinent to mining and excavation.
Project in Tehran
Taking steps in injecting technology into the health and medication sector, Iran’s University of Medical Sciences has launched a health tech park focused on stem cells and regenerative medicine.
The center was launched last week in the presence of Sattari, Tehran Province Governor-General Anoushiravan Mohseni Bandpey and a university official, Jalil Kouhpayeh-Zadeh.
Speaking at the inauguration, Sattari said the park is a joint project of the vice presidential office, the university and private sector.
The university is also working on opening a clinical trial laboratory. The project has progressed by 30% and is expected to come on stream in the current Iranian year (started March 21).
When operational, the lab would implement research projects, produce mass cell culture and practice regenerative medicine.
The university will also help launch a stem cell therapy hospital to bolster the medical sector, expand medical tourism and bring advanced technologies to regenerative medicine.
University-Based Tech Centers
As the outstanding achievements of technology ecosystem has lured different sectors to make investments in the field, universities have also stepped in to extend support.
In early March, three tech centers were inaugurated at the Tehran-based Amirkabir University of Technology by Sattari.
Established in energy and physics, space science and civil engineering departments, these tech centers are geared toward commercializing the students’ ideas through legal, technical and market analysis consultancy.
Counting the three new centers, the university is now home to eight workplaces for innovative teams.
Hossein Hosseini, the university’s deputy for research and technology, said the tech centers are aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and technological innovation among students and faculty members.
Besides forming innovation centers and attracting tech teams, universities can utilize their scientific edge to help startups.
Such efforts are a synergetic move to advance the tech ecosystems of Tehran and other Iranian cities.
In late January, Sharif University of Technology in Tehran and Astan Quds Razavi, a charitable organization in Khorasan Razavi Province, launched an innovation factory adjacent to Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.
The center is specialized in the renovation of medical equipment and clinical devices, which will help save $420 million annually.
In addition, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, located in the namesake province, has joined the vice presidential office to invest 320 billion rials ($1.28 million) in an innovation center to develop unique ideas and commercialize tech-based plans in a wide range of health fields.
Golestan University of Medical Sciences also hosts an innovation center working on health technology, which offers virtual visits for clinical diagnosis, post-treatment support and consultancy services.
The center is also providing technical, scientific and commercial support to innovative teams and aiding efforts to commercialize their ideas.
Nationwide Moves
Over the past few years, numerous tech parks and innovation factories have been established throughout the country to extend 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 several 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 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.
