Today’s challenges and needs cannot be solved with yesterday’s solutions, and prediction of future alone cannot resolve our future problems. In fact, we should step toward the preparation of the future. The business environmental conditions and rules of the game are so brutal, complicated, dynamic and unsafe that organizations cannot guarantee their long-term survival by superficial changes in their structures, methods and systems.

The future can be made and success on this path requires a new perspective. It is not just possible through adjustment to change and we have to be fond of the process. In the current situation, organizations cannot overcome small, flexible, innovative, opportunistic and low-cost competitors by relying on high production capacity and implementing several creative projects. Rather, they should provide the conditions for the creative talent of employees to be nurtured and for all of them to develop an entrepreneurial spirit and to be able to carry out their innovative activities easily, continuously, individually or in groups.

Parviz Karami, the secretary of the knowledge-based economy culture-building and soft and creative industries development, talked about the effective role of creative companies in advancement of the innovation ecosystem.

* Could you please explain about creative companies?

Karami: creating a competitive advantage based on innovation and creativity in the model of monetization, cost reduction, supply chain management, marketing, product differentiation and other activities that lead to new structures in the business model of the enterprise is called creative company. Creative companies are those that have the potential for presenting a product or service by relying on their creativity and innovation. These companies target new business model. In other words, these companies provide a service or product that may not be that advanced in terms of technology but its main core is creativity and innovation. It must be a company that has one of the legal entities registered in the legal system of the country. In addition, it should have economic, social and cultural influences.

* What is the main difference between creative and knowledge-based companies?

Karami: creative companies have a competitive advantage over innovation and have a business and revenue model that can be said to provide marketing and chain management, reduce costs, differentiate products, and ultimately lead to new structures in the enterprise business model.  Unlike knowledge-based companies, the growth and development of their products and services are not based on sophisticated and advanced technologies.

The areas of activities of creative companies include digital businesses and cyberspace, audio-visual industries, film, animation, motion graphics, audio and video works, podcasts, cultural heritage-tourism and handicrafts.

A variety of games include toys, entertainment, and of course other areas that include creative companies are publishing, education, herbs, traditional medicine, and design and architecture.

During the activities that have been carried out during these years, we have succeeded in identifying the principles and principles for approval by the areas. In other words, the Vice-Presidency does not do the work independently and gets help from accelerators, companies, facilitators, festivals, growth centers and science and technology parks. For example, an accelerator can introduce both startups and knowledge-based companies to us, or this accelerator can be our agent in the evaluation of creative companies in our field.

* How can creative companies connect to the Vice-Presidency?

Karami: we hold 15 specialized festivals to identify these companies. For instance, the International Film Festival for Children and Youth Awards can introduce top director or producer to us to get creative in children's filmmaking. Saba Institution can also introduce the best animators and producers, and who can work in the field after the initial assessment for approving their ability to become creative. So, we have competent entry points that help us well in this area.

* How many dynamic creative companies have been registered so far?

Karami: there are more than 1200 creative companies registered in various fields, 550 of which are active in the field of digital business and cyberspace, 100 are in the field of audio-visual industries, radio and television, motion and animation, 100 are in the area of cultural heritage and handicrafts, 150 are in the field of games, toys, and entertainment, and 60 are in the field of architecture. Of course, in the field of visual and performing arts, a weak amount has been done, which I hope will be strengthened, and about seven companies have been registered in this field. In addition, 20 companies in the field of printing and publishing, education and learning, 45 companies in the field of medicinal plants and traditional medicine, 30 companies have been registered in the field of infrastructure and finally 15 companies in other fields of soft and creative industries. In terms of the future of this field, I believe that we can reach two thousand creative companies and I hope that we could soon celebrate the formation of 1500 companies.

* What kind of services are provided to creative companies?

Karami: legal, technical, consulting, empowerment, insurance, tax, intellectual property, duty system facilities, location in science and technology parks, coordination in the location of housing, support for creative companies in specialized exhibitions, trade, domestic and foreign, supply services Finance through technology research funds as well as the Innovation and Prosperity Fund are among the support processes of the Vice-Presidency in this regard.

Financially speaking, creative companies are weak centers and has recently entered the field. Therefore, a type of empowerment program must be considered for them so that they could prosper and stand on their own feet. In this respect, various in-person educational, counseling and empowering courses and webinars have been designed.

Due to the fact that creative companies are weak in the field of financial issues, including offices and the circulation of technical and scientific issues, we have also considered a consulting and market development counter for creative companies in this field.

There are also support packages in the field of conscription. We have also consulted with some parks to be located in the science and technology parks of large companies.

Proper support has been provided for the participation of creative companies in domestic specialized exhibitions. However, some modifications are required in the expert section. In addition, companies have been supported in terms of booth renting and attending exhibitions in other countries. In addition, creative companies that have exportable products have received special support, similar to knowledge-based companies, in order to benefit from pavilions outside the country and attend foreign fairs to conclude contracts with special insurance companies. By doing so, welfare services can be provided to these companies. An example would be the services provided by Dana Insurance Co. with the help of Tehran Innovation Network.

* What kind of facilities have been provided to creative companies during the corona pandemic?

Karami: with the cooperation of Iran national innovation fund, proper facilities have been provided to creative companies during the pandemic, especially in the field of tourism since companies in this field have suffered large damages.

Of course, in the field of introducing knowledge-based companies in radio and television and various programs, we have started a series of work and we have introduced creative companies for dynamic networks and seedlings, but we are looking to continue in other networks as well.

* What kind of services are provided to companies?

Creative companies will receive financial assistance up to 50 million Rials if they enter the market in the field of reporting and research. In the field of digital marketing services, 50% of the cost up to 50 million Rials; But if these companies have an office, they will benefit from our benefits up to 120 million Rials.

Of course, in the field of purchasing accounting software, we pay 50% of the costs up to 20 million Tomans, and such cases are in the field of financial services so that creative companies can do their financial work.

In the field of developing the export of creative products in international exhibitions and sending by trade delegations, quotas have been set for creative companies to be able to be present in foreign markets.

Of course, we have also provided assistance in the field of exports for advertising and information provision of international market development sites and services, or registration of international trademarks in specialized international consulting and trade consulting with foreign countries so that creative companies can take full advantage of such benefits.

Iran national research fund especial for creative industries is put on the agenda, and good news will be soon announced for creative companies with the help of research and technology funds to establish a special credit line. However, negotiations have been initiated with Iran national innovation fund.

We provide about 30% of the cost of the presence of creative companies to establish a shared work space to creative companies, and 25% special discount for cyberspace infrastructure such as hosting, and 20% discount for creative companies to use special Iranian programming languages on the agenda we have.

We have negotiated with some organizations such as rural abilities fair, vice-chancellor for rural development, Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation, and IRIB to use the empowerment and abilities of these organizations and creative companies.

* Which parts of the Vice-Presidency can be more used by creative companies?

Karami: creative companies can use the services of the laboratory strategic network, and benefit from 50% subsidy.

In conversations with the Chamber of Commerce, we have received a 70% special membership discount for creative companies in the Chamber of Commerce, and a 50% special discount for creative companies in the guarantee service, which if companies can use in this field, they can keep up the good work.

In the field of promotion and introduction of knowledge-based people, a good memorandum of understanding has been reached with IRIB so that we can introduce creative companies in IRIB for free.

These are the series of works that we are currently pursuing to improve, be seen, grow and develop creative companies in the form of the program for the development of the ecosystem for creative companies at the knowledge-based economy culture-building and soft and creative industries.

* What are your future ideas and plans as the secretary of the headquarters for knowledge-based economy and soft and creative industries development?

Karami: during the Corona era, there was a special boost that led to the growth of creative companies in the fields of content production, artificial intelligence, IT and IoT, and we must help make better use of this situation, which is considered a threat to some businesses but a new opportunity for many others.

It is true that the people and the country suffered in the days of Corona and lost their loved ones, but on the other hand, a situation was created so that creative companies and knowledge-based companies could grow and have a good domestic and export market in this space. In future programs, we must seriously pursue these issues with the help of knowledge-based companies and creative and cultural industries, and by holding specialized meetings and presenting ideas through synergies, we can take advantage of the space created to promote companies and society.

A report by the public relations and information center of the Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs quoted by Fars News Agency