Sometimes we deal with the exciting issues of the knowledge-based economy to the extent that we forget to think about the “Market” and “Marketing” and finding cash-giving customers. Powerful producers of the world have been looking at us as a market for many years. A producer takes the 80-million market of Iran seriously each day and competes with other rivals to enter it. Although we had been in sanctions for many years and couldn’t have financial relations and economic tit for tat with Europe and America and even some parts of Asia in practice, goods owners and production and servicing companies didn’t abjure Iran’s market and although they couldn’t enter this market directly, they entered indirectly and advertised their goods. Unfortunately, we have to confess that we are suffering from the consumptionism habits; old habits that cannot be given up easily and in a short time. “It cannot be abandoned but through time.” Especially this consumptionism is the pest of our idealism and is contrary to our revolutionary and Islamic mood. Our political rivals know our spirit and although they have failed in political disputes with us, they have come near economically and have taken over the market to some extend and have earned a lot of money from this. If you look at the numbers and variation of selling non-Iranian products in Iran’s market you will understand the reason of bankruptcy of many producers and stagnation of the national production market. Nowadays, there is no house in Tehran and towns and even in deprived areas that be empty of Korean, Chinese, European and even American goods. If you look carefully, you will see that Koreans and Chinese and Europeans and Americans have looked before they leap and have studied the market of Iran carefully and precisely. They almost know our consumption habits. They have understood our needs and inclinations and know our interests and they have even worked on our difference from Arabs and Turks and somehow, they have directed them. One reason that Iranian manufacturers can’t compete with non-Iranian manufacturers is that they know our market better. What manufacturers have taken over the main market of smart phones today? What manufacturers have taken over the car market? Other items are the same. Once, at the beginning of the revolution, most of us thought that since we are weak at packaging and we don’t supply our goods properly and we don’t know how to present, so other would come and defraud us of the market with better appearance. But the issue is more complicated. Presentation and packaging are important and should be taken into account seriously but knowing the market is primary to them which needs research and study. Even advertisement is dependent on this recognition. If we want to evaluate ourselves realistically, we should say that it can be understood from the advertisement of Iranian goods that the producer doesn’t know the market properly. Visual and auditory attractions are not the only factor that makes foreign ads pleasant. No, they know the “market” as the atom of the word. This knowledge isn’t obtained by chance or through decree and it is not fake. It is a professional job which should pay for. Otherwise, our presence in the market, either Iranian market or foreign market, is a shot in the dark. But if want to take our share from the world economic and specify our position at the world market, we should change our current approach and turn the marketology into knowledge-based.

Thanks to God, young and smart and literate and motivated forces have entered the economy field of the country which dreams about new projects and want to do amazing works based on knowledge.  The main reason of the “Knowledge-Based Blossom” is the existence of the intelligent and motivated youths during these years. Most of them have good ideas, clear image of the world’s facts and know the economic and political and social situations of the world and have understood that they can end the exclusion of economic powers. This is very important to know that world valid brands are not invincible and they can be defeated. This is not the God’s order that the world powerful companies conquer the world like octopus. During these very recent years, many youths have started from under the stairs and quickly, they messed with the powerful companies. When it happened for Steve Jobs, why shouldn’t it happen for an expert and motivates Iranian youth? Multinational companies have wonderful power, but the knowledge-based economy has changed everything and it is the high time for us to quit consumptionism and open our shops within the global market. If we look carefully we will understand that we have unique goods and services as well that world’s people want them. As China and Korea and Germany and France come to Iran and do business, we can go to these countries as well and do our wise business there. It isn’t that way that Japanese and Chinese and Europeans have eliminated the world’s need and don’t let anyone else in. No, actually within the several-billion market of the world, Iran not only can but also it must sell its knowledge-based goods. Especially in Islamic world, we can be the seller of goods or services that no one has not only dealt with yet but also hasn’t thought about. It apparently seems that the billion-market of China or India is not proper for Iranian producers. Perhaps those who always keep talking about disappointment say that how a producer that has given up the market to the rivals in his own country can compete in the world markets. Now we are talking but maybe entering the new and knowledge-based zones can compensate and emerge bright and new reaches for us, God willingly.

*Parviz Karami; Secretary of the knowledge-based science, technology and economy culture development headquarter