During the trip of the vice president for science and technology affairs, construction and establishment of the innovation factory of the province for locating startups and inaugurating the production line of technological services and products are initiated.

According to the public relations and information center of the Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs, Sorena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology affairs, traveled to Yazd Province on May 14^th, 2019. During the visit of innovation centers, accelerators, and growth centers of academic technology units of the province, Sattari visited the abandoned Derakhshan spinning factory, which will be turned into a place for establishment of startups and production lines of technological products and services with the infrastructural support of the Vice-Presidency. Accordingly, the innovation factory of Yazd will be soon constructed and exploited.

Creating innovation factories with the approach of turning abandoned places into a space for flourishing of creative and technological businesses has been one of the plans of the Vice-Presidency, for which the necessary support will be provided. These factories provide the suitable space for turning innovative ideas of creative and educated youth into knowledge-based businesses. In fact, many knowledge-based companies that emerge from startups and factories enter the business market.

Accelerated Growth of Knowledge-based and Startup Businesses in the Current Year

In this visit, the vice president for science and technology affairs announced the growth of knowledge-based companies and startups in the current year.

He explained the infrastructural of the Vice-Presidency for taking these two steps, adding: by creating software and financial infrastructure and support on the foundation of the law for support of knowledge-based companies, we have attempted to create the suitable ecosystem for activity of startup and knowledge-based businesses.

Valuable Position of Knowledge-based Companies and Startups in the Economy and Occupation

Sattari announced the selling of 90,000 billion tomans by knowledge-based companies in the last year, marking: the volume and quality of activity of these businesses have reached an effective and considerable level in the economy. More than 4300 knowledge-based companies and 6,000 startups have carried out effective and reliable works in the areas of occupation and added value. This trend will be accelerated this year.

Necessity of Presence of the Private Sector

The president of the national elites foundation explained the importance of the private sector investment for increasing the effectiveness of studies, asserting: if the private sector invests on research, we will witness knowledge-based products. The private sector or companies established by academics must enter the field since it is only this sector that can turn research into a useful product required by the society.

According to Sattari, article and research production is not the only mission of universities and the problems of the country must be solved with the money and taxes of literate people.

He regarded the promotion of innovation at the level of cities a priority in this field, affirming: in addition to investment on knowledge-border research, which is the responsibilities of governments and can be associated with scientific progress and might not necessarily end in a product, the private sector studies must end into products to be used by people.

Sattari pointed out the successful technological works performed in Tehran and some of the large cities of the country as the proper model for other cities.

Universities Guide Students toward Daring Innovative and Entrepreneurial Experiences

The vice president for science and technology affairs reminded another important mission of universities, adding: universities have an important cultural duty, which is guiding the youth toward having entrepreneurial thoughts instead of being recruited by the government. In addition, they must increase the self-confidence of these individuals in terms of creating added value. 

Sattari also expressed: universities are required to create a space where students could take risks with a high self-confidence and follow their innovative ideas.