According to the vice president for science and technology affairs, with the expansion of entrepreneurship and the booming of startups and knowledge-based businesses, a new spirit has been blown into the city"s body, which promises to fertilize the seedlings of a smart city and technology.

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, expressed on the event for introducing the innovation zone of “Sharif” held by Sharif University of Industry: during the first days of formation of the Vice-Presidency, the main question was that why “Silicon Valley” has been established in the United States but is not observed in other parts of the world, such as Arabic countries along the shore of the Persian Gulf despite their major investments? After conducting a research in the United States, it was determined that the main issue is related to the creation of a proper ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation.

Favorable Ecosystem of Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Sattari affirmed that what makes a knowledge-based economy is favorable entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. He asserted: knowledge alone cannot be the foundation of the formation of a knowledge-based economy, but each of the circles of this chain must work together to create an ecosystem compatible with innovative ideas, entrepreneurship and efficient research.

According to the vice president for science and technology affairs, research that relies on government investment cannot solve the problems of the society since the structure and concept of the state, not only in Iran, but also in all countries, does not recognize the mechanisms necessary for this kind of research.

The Main Foundation for Knowledge-based and Startup Works

The vice president for science and technology affairs regarded smart technological cities are the major foundation for startup and knowledge-based works.

Sattari continued: in education of entrepreneurship and startup, cities play an important role as the foundation of innovation, and the city"s largest role is to provide the context in which citizens are exposed to new concepts every day.

A Special Opportunity for Technological Businesses

According to the president of the knowledge-based economy and culture-building technologies development headquarter, Iran, as the 16th country in the world, has half the Middle East"s Internet traffic. Farsi is the ninth most commonly used language in the world while the Farsi language population is even less than Arabic. There is a significant volume of Farsi web pages on the Internet, which is a great opportunity for us to develop innovative and technological businesses for Iranians.

Responding to a Serious Concern

The president of the national elites foundation asserted: one of my serious concerns has always been related to how an elite with an invention should be supported in such a way that he/she can continue the path to a knowledge-based business. The answer to this question is in the private sector and the accelerators created because the private sector, thanks to the support and investment of ideas, is helping to solve the problems of society, creating value added and returning capital.

Sattari pointed out the activities of Sharif University in the field of knowledge-based businesses, affirming: the orientations of this university have been significantly favorable in terms of moving toward knowledge-based businesses and laying the foundation for innovation and entrepreneurship for academics and young individuals. This has made the university into a great example in this field. having a startup attitude toward issues can solve urban problems and lay the foundation for the creation of added value and occupations.

Fertilized Seedling of Smart City

The vice president for science and technology affairs regarded the innovation zone of Sharif the most important body of ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation, adding: with the expansion of the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem that has driven the boom of startups and knowledge-based businesses, it has now blown a new spirit in the city"s body. This new spirit promises to fertilize the seedlings of a smart city and technology.

Solving Urban Problems Depends on Innovative Solutions

During this event, Parviz Hanachi, the mayor of Tehran, expressed that development of businesses is an opportunity for eliminating threats to cities. In this respect, he added: Tehran deals with various problems, such as urban pollutants, which has imposed huge costs on the city and health of citizens. Solving of these problems depends on the development of innovative and creative solutions.

Hanachi also pointed out the support of establishment of knowledge-based and startup businesses in urban locations by the municipality of Tehran.

Tripartite Cooperation for the Development of the Innovation Zone in Tehran

In total, two memorandums of understanding were signed during the ceremony. The first agreement was related to the development of innovation zone of Sharif in the presence of the vice president for science and technology affairs, mayor of Tehran, and head of Sharif University of Industry. This agreement was signed by Rasoul Keshtpour, mayor of district 2, Esmaeil Ghaderifar, head of strategic technologies development center, and Majid Dehbidipour, head of the science and technology park of Sharif University of Medical Sciences.

The second agreement was signed between information and communication technologies organization of municipality of Tehran and science and technology park of Sharif with the goal of developing the capacities and infrastructures of information and communication technologies.

Visiting Azadi Innovation Factory

Sattari and Hanachi visited Azadi Innovation Factor to observe the achievements and abilities of startups based in this factory. The mentioned location was one of the abandoned places of Tehran, which was turned into a place for development of startups and accelerators and flourishing of innovative ideas.