The vice president for science and technology affairs stated: providing a suitable business environment is the most important necessity of knowledge-based and startup businesses. The city of Tehran can be allocated to these businesses with the support of the Vice-Presidency and role-playing of the private sector.

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 the turning of Tehran into an innovative city as a priority of the Vice-Presidency during the opening ceremony for the first phase of the first innovation factory of the private sector (Sharif innovation), adding: one of the main priorities of the Vice-Presidency in cooperation with the municipality of Tehran is turning abandoned buildings into innovative factories.

Paving the Way for a Suitable Knowledge-based and Startup Business Environment in Tehran

Sattari considered the formation of a proper business environment as the most important requirement for booming of knowledge-based economy.

Head of the knowledge-based economy and culture-building development headquarter pointed out that the development of startup businesses around the top universities of the country is indicative of the formation of an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. In this regard, he expressed: currently, there are more than 450 startups and knowledge-based companies around Sharif University of Industry, actions of which have been promising and have shown the development of an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the heart of universities of the country.

Mentioning the potential of the capital of Iran in being turned into an innovative and technological city, Sattari affirmed: according to the global innovation index (Gii), the city of Tehran has been considered among the 50 large cities in the area of technology with a multi-step growth. The great intrinsic capacities of Tehran, including its universities and graduated and creative youth, can be utilized to turn this city into the foundation for emergence of innovation and creativity.

Development of Innovation Centers with the Support of the Private Sector

The vice president for science and technology affairs explained about the development of innovation centers with role-playing of the private sector, asserting: this year, we have serious programs to develop technological factors by the investment of the private sector. In addition, extensive efforts will be dedicated to issues relevant licenses in the area of infrastructures so that several companies could be developed. Today, we witness two examples of these centers.

Sattari also pointed out the support of the Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs to export products and services of knowledge-based companies and startups, claiming: export of knowledge-based products is significantly more than traditional products due to having special standards, that are not tangible to traditional enterprises. In this regard, export level has been reported at 400 million dollars, which will reach more than one billion dollars next year. In fact, we will be active in more than 60 countries.

Allocation of 40 Thousand Square Meter Work Place to Startups

In this ceremony, the first phase of innovation factory of the private sector was inaugurated in the presence of the vice president for science and technology affairs, Movahedi, deputy of Sharif University of Industry, Karami, secretary of knowledge-based economy and culture-building development headquarter, Ghaderifar, head of the strategic technologies development center, Faghihi, secretary of information and communications technology development headquarter, Dehnavi, one of the founders of the innovation factor of Sharif, a number of deputies of municipality of the region and a number of activists of knowledge-based and startup businesses.

Visit of the First Electronic Health Accelerator

Sattari also visited “Kara”, the first innovation accelerator in the area of e-health located in the innovation factory of Azadi.