TEHRAN – Representatives of more than 75 Iranian knowledge-based companies will visit Venezuela
Composed of experts in the fields of oil, gas, petrochemicals, health, pharmaceuticals, information and communication technologies, agriculture and machinery, the delegation will visit Venezuela on Tuesday with the aim of exchanging experiences and holding meetings, ISNA reported on Sunday.
In the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 2022-March 2023), new approaches have been adopted to support knowledge-based enterprises, both in terms of quality and quantity, in line with achieving the goal of a knowledge-based economy, he explained.
The delegation includes experts in the fields of oil, gas, petrochemicals, health, pharmaceuticals, information and communication technologies, agriculture and machinery.The leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has designated the current Iranian year as “the year of production: based on knowledge and job creation”.
Strengthening knowledge-based enterprises is on the agenda, raising hopes to reduce obstacles on the path to development.
The leader called on all Iranians, including citizens and government officials, to work hard to boost knowledge-based production and create new jobs.
In this regard, a strategic technological development headquarters has been formed and 362,000 technological projects and 154 commercialization projects have been supported, in addition to the inauguration of 23 national mega-projects.
Additionally, in the area of innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem development, 65 creative houses and innovation centers and 30 specialized accelerators have been established with the aim of empowering and building the capacity of export of knowledge-based, creative and technological enterprises.
Thus, more than 7,000 knowledge-based enterprises and 1,600 creative enterprises have so far been registered and started their activities.
The fields of biotechnology, agriculture, food industries, chemical technologies, aircraft maintenance, steel, gas, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and medicine, petroleum, electronics and telecommunications, information technology and computer software are some of the sectors in which researchers from technology companies work. .
Today, the country’s knowledge-based ecosystem accounts for more than 3% of GDP. And the figure is expected to reach 5%, however, the main target is to reach a 10% share of GDP, Vice President for Science and Technology Sourena Sattari said in Fars on February 13.
The share of knowledge-based businesses in the country’s economy has exceeded 9 quadrillion rials (about $34 billion) and since 2019 it has grown by more than 450 percent, he said.
Aircraft maintenance, steel, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, oil and gas are among the sectors in which researchers from technology companies have engaged, which has led to a reduction in imports.
Over the past year, in order to achieve a resilient and knowledge-based economy, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology has implemented a series of activities to further develop the innovation ecosystem and technology in the country.
A total of 400 trillion rials (nearly $1.4 billion) of financial services will be allocated to the country’s innovation ecosystem.
The Iranian National Fund for Innovation, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, the Association of Private Banks and Credit Institutions and the Coordinating Council of State and Semi-State Banks signed a memorandum of agreement to develop an economy based on knowledge and innovation. and areas of technology financing.
To support the development of strategic technologies in the country, 205 technology development plans have been approved in accordance with the needs of society, and 23 needs-based technology plans have been defined in accordance with the stated priorities of organizations and institutions in the country.
The holding of more than 28 technological events, specialized meetings and webinars in strategic and specialized priority areas and the opening of 25 creation and innovation houses are other results of the implementation of this plan.
MG