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, regarded providing a proper ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship of the young and educated individuals of the country as the most important necessity for developing the knowledge-based economy during the administrative council meeting of Azerbaijan, expressing: the knowledge-based companies and startups need a special support mechanism, and providing direct loans in their first step of activities is not recommended. In fact, the proper business space must be created and developed to expand their activities.

The president of the knowledge-based economy and culture-building technologies development headquarter regarded a great part the challenges in forming the ecosystem of entrepreneurship to be related to the cultural revolution and determination of the society to move toward forming this ecosystem.

The vice president for science and technology affairs mentioned that the country has been directed to the path of learning the mechanisms for developing a proper innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, asserting: facilitating the creative and innovative businesses is a necessity for developing the knowledge-based economy, which is gradually being realized. However, its acceleration requires the change of culture of provinces toward the attraction and support of key elements of this ecosystem, which is the creative human resource and investment of the private sector.

Sattari pointed out the key role of universities in the development of cultural and creative industries by training creative and entrepreneurial human resources, affirming: fortunately, the attitude of universities and research centers towards entrepreneurship and creation of added value has changed. The scientific society has come to the realization that reliance on the government capital and lack of attention to the creativity of the human resources will not lead to a proper and desirable output tailored to the needs of the society.

The president of the knowledge-based economy and culture-building technologies development headquarter regarded the local science and technology parks as the most important tools for developing this type of ecosystem in the country.

He also pointed out that the entire regions of a smart city will be turned into a science and technology park, marking: the concept of new parks in smart cities is no longer limited to a specific geographic area, and science and technology parks offer their services to knowledge-based companies, startups, and all of their knowledge economy chain circles throughout the city.

He considering the implementation of the law for support of knowledge-based companies by the Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs as a step toward the development of this ecosystem, claiming: the main topics of this law, including military service, tax and customs exemptions and insurance are all in line with the formation of a proper environment for knowledge-based businesses. In recent years, more than 110 support topics have been provided for these companies in the form of this law.

Sattari pointed out that cultural revolution is the most important necessity for maintaining the local creative human resources in provinces.

He also mentioned the support of international patent registration for researchers and inventors of the country by the Vice-Presidency, declaring: we fully support international patent registration for universities, students, researchers and inventors and the cost of this process is completely paid by the Vice-Presidency.

He added: a greater number of individuals learned about this support process by establishing the patent office, which led to a considerable growth in the international patent registration process of the country. Since the beginning of this year, more than 140 patents have been registered and will pass the border of 180 until the end of this year.

Sattari also explained about the import and export support for knowledge-based companies, stating: in addition to the export corridor for knowledge-based products and supporting the presence of Iranian products in foreign exhibitions, the necessary support for customs clearance and imports of knowledge-based companies has been implemented.

The vice president for science and technology affairs pointed out that not only the entrepreneurship ecosystem will not be shaped with the aid of the government money, but also it will be destroyed by this type of support. In this regard, he expressed: if the government capital was a solution to innovation and prosperity, the Gulf states would have spent huge sums of money to set up this ecosystem, which of course did not happen.

In this meeting, a number of local researchers and entrepreneurs of the province expressed their opinions, problems, and needs to the vice president for science and technology affairs.

Visit of Technological Companies of West Azerbaijan Province

In this travel, the vice president for science and technology affairs along with Shahriari, the governor of West Azerbaijan Province, visited the knowledge-based company of Imen Electronics Bakhtaran, producer of drying and sterilizing devices and advanced waste management equipment, Arta Orthopedics, manufacturer of orthopedic implants, orthopedic and spinal screws, Urom Zist Tak, and Kesht Baft Royan Pajhouh of Azerbaijan, producer of revised seedlings and vegetative base.