In addition, the government should make the most investment in this field and completely support the top students and elites to become a member of the center, guiding it toward specific goals. The first step is to be needless of importing technology, and the second step is to improve the quality of domestically produced products to export Iranian products and make significant improvements in all fields.

However, given the recent sanctions against Iran, the efforts made by knowledge-based companies and startups were overlooked and some people did not believe in the presence of these companies in various fields. Nevertheless, the existence of these companies greatly contributed to the status of countries, including Iran, due to the outbreak of coronavirus. With 24-hour effort, they have been able to deal with sanctions and provide services to community, including producing hospital equipment, producing different types of masks and entering fields such as artificial intelligence and IT.

In this regard, we interviewed Parviz Karami, the advisor to the vice president for science and technology affairs, who is active n the field of science and technology, as well as knowledge-based economy and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

*We have not fallen behind in any fields due to the growing efforts of knowledge-based companies

Fars: with the outbreak of the Corona virus, we have witnessed special advances by knowledge-based companies every day, but recently it seems that the presence of these companies has diminished than before?

Karami: no, it is not like that. Not only the efforts, activities and effectiveness of knowledge-based companies have not decreased in various fields during corona, but also, they have increased in a way that the country has passed a critical and stressful crisis.

When we faced the outbreak of the coronavirus, all the people were desperate about what would happen, what we have, and what are the ways to defeat such a vicious disease, and things like that caused an emotional atmosphere in the country.

Today, the stress and fear of people have decreased due to the timely efforts of medical and hospital staff. In addition, sacrifice of physicians and nurses showed that the proper measures taken by these individuals has returned tranquility to society.

Moreover, knowledge-based companies have entered all fields required by the society using innovation and technology.

During the outbreak of coronavirus, all countries, including Iran, dealt with a shortage of masks. Through the media news, we saw that the trucks carrying masks were moved with the help of the police and the army in developed countries, while other countries were not interested in providing equipment to other countries, but in this situation, due to sanctions, our work was doubled. Among these, knowledge-based companies began to produce and manufacture items such as masks, mask production line, ventilators, biopsies, disinfectants in the shortest possible time. Despite the good hospitals we have, medical devices and equipment were quickly deployed in them, and a certain peace of mind was restored to the community, medical staff, officials and staff.

In another field, companies and startups active in the field of content production entered the field and provided suitable content on the cyberspace, which led to the elimination of fake content and misinformation about this area.

The ever-increasing efforts of knowledge-based companies have caused us not to fall behind in the world, and our technology ecosystem is able to provide all equipment and drugs required in the country.

*knowledge-based companies are our defenders in the battle against sanctions

Fars: one of the major concerns of people is vaccination. What are the improvements of our knowledge-based companies in this area?

Karami: thousands of research work hours have been dedicated to clinical research in order to prove that some drugs and vaccines are not effective.

Today, some countries have announced their success in vaccine production. However, nothing has been approved by the world health organization. In Iran, we have 6 routes and 6 companies on the agenda for the production of vaccines, which have successfully passed the animal stage and are in the initial stage of human testing. Ultimately, however, reference to such cases should always be made by the Ministry of Health and the National Corona Headquarters located at the Ministry of Health.

We have witnessed the efforts made by companies to produce vaccine, and we have high hopes for the success of knowledge-based companies in the field of vaccines, in a way that we see the emergence of equipment in the field of prevention, drug supplements and disease recognition in the country every day.

Knowledge-based companies have not been disappointed and continued their efforts to recognize the facilities, supplements and drugs to treat COVID-19. However, we should not forget that sanctions are intensified every day, and while Iran has been successful in meeting its own needs and producing Iranian products, Trump administration has increased the pressure on Iran. Therefore, it seems that knowledge-based companies have been successful in dealing with sanctions through producing these products. As such, our defenders on the front line of battle against the sanctions are knowledge-based companies.

In his latest statements, the Supreme Leader of Iran considered knowledge-based companies as one of the strengths of the country, in a way that about 5,300 knowledge-based companies, 6,000 startups, 1,000 creative companies and more than 200 innovation centers in various fields are various accelerators of our assets in the field of science and technology.

*Creating Innovation Centers in the Field of Media and New Technologies

Fars: given the points made, how do you strengthen knowledge-based companies in the crisis?

Karami: one of the main tasks of the Vice-Presidency is promoting this issue all over the country. The Vice-Presidency has aimed to establish innovation centers in the field of media and new technologies.

The Vice-Presidency will help the formation of innovation centers in the field of media and promote this culture among the media, so that graduates of various fields could search their future career in the media and be present in the ecosystem to improve their creativity and effectiveness. In addition, structures will be created to help knowledge-based companies financially and provide counseling and spiritual facilities for enterprises. Currently, we encourage governmental, governmental and non-governmental structures to join the ranks of scholars.

*Using Endowment Revenues in the Science and Technology Field

Fars: what are your activities in government and non-government areas?

Karami: today, we have started activities with various organizations such as the municipality, the executive headquarters, foundations and endowments. The Endowment Organization is a large non-governmental and national organization that has a lot of assets, and we entered this field in order to be able to place technology and innovation in the endowment structures, to use both endowment assets such as factories and land and endowment revenues. In the field of science and technology, which is a current and lasting good, and we can bring the capital of endowments into the hearts of scholars.

In fact, just as a good philanthropist can invest in the construction of schools, mosques, baths and hospital centers, he can say during the endowment that he would like to dedicate his assets to a knowledge-based company working to fight COVID-19 or to a company that helps improve the principles of agriculture so that both knowledge-based companies and the community can benefit.

We have always entered new topics and ideas and have led our authorities toward knowledge-based area.

Knowledge-based companies must be properly introduced to the community and have a good market. In recent days, two other major markets have been added to the field of export of Corona diagnostic kits, which is the result of the corridor of export efforts with knowledge-based companies in order to increase the activity and export of more knowledge-based companies.

*Currency generation, sales and present in the market of other countries will help knowledge-based companies

Fars: how can we witness the production of knowledge-based products with oil revenues?

Karami: this is currently happening, and the president has mentioned that our reliance on oil budget has decreased to below 10%. Therefore, budget should be provided from other parts, one of which is added value and currency generation from products of knowledge-based companies of Iran.

One of the bases and positions that can permanently help knowledge-based companies is the issue of currency exchange, sales and market presence in countries other than Iran. It can be said that during the last two years, especially after the corona outbreak, the capabilities and achievements of knowledge-based companies in the country were taken very seriously. Given that the people suffered and were greatly disturbed with the outbreak of the corona, but fortunately, the knowledge-based companies showed their sovereignty and society well by appearing in the eyes of the rulers in this crisis.

Due to the mischiefs in the past, some people would not believe when we said that we have made advancements in the field of science and technology. However, the outbreak of corona showed that Iran has made improvements in all fields since there were no equipment related to the virus in any of the countries in the world. This has been realized with the help of scientists, academics, science and technology parks and innovation centers.

Fars: It has been claimed that knowledge-based companies and startups have constraints in entering some fields, is it true?

Karami: old structures resist innovation and spontaneous updates. For instance, online taxis were not accepted at first, but they are regularly used today.

Innovation has fans, and we have seen people’s connection to innovation. However, entrance of innovation into each field takes time but will definitely happen. Therefore, innovation imposes itself on the society and no matter how much the media and scientific literacy of the society increases, it will definitely be easier to accept the innovation. Fortunately, our country benefits from a literate and professional society, which leads to the penetration of innovation in society as soon as possible.

*80% of problems of knowledge-based companies will be resolved by approving the production leap project as a law

Fars: we have witnessed the development of knowledge-based production leap project with the formation of the commission of the Knowledge-Based Economy Faction in the Parliament. What are the benefits of these approvals?

Karami: I hope that this issue, which is being pursued in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, will emerge as soon as possible and become law. Those who have designed this project are active in the academic field and knowledge-based companies and know the legal bottlenecks in the field.

In my opinion, 80% of problems of knowledge-based companies will be solved if this plan is turned into a law. However, it is notable that a good law needs a good executor and demand from the media and the people.

*We are ranked 15-18 in the field of artificial intelligence in the world

Fars: everyday, we have witnessed achievements and efforts of knowledge-based companies. It has recently been mentioned that these companies have an acceptable position in the field of artificial intelligence in the world, how many companies are active in this field?

Karami: we have about 40 very good companies in the field of artificial intelligence. In fact, Iran is ranked 15-18^th in the world in terms of artificial intelligence. Certainly, we will soon see many changes due to the products of these companies with the perseverance and efforts of these dear knowledge-based people.

Until a few days ago, we saw that people had to go to authentication centers to verify their identities, which was very crowded and exacerbated COVID-19. In the meantime, we saw a knowledge-based company operating in another field unveil software called SEJAM, which allows people to easily perform authentication steps through this system.

In addition, artificial intelligence is a combination of different sciences, and will soon generate revenues in society. Our youth and professionals in the field of artificial intelligence are not far behind the world; Although we may be a little far apart in the automotive industry and in some areas, we are not far behind other countries in new science and technology.

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