TEHRAN – With over 6,000 startups operating in Iran, the country is the largest hub of startups in the region, the vice president for science and technology said, IRNA reported on Monday.

Sourena Sattari said that the startups provide potential capacities for sustainable development in the country.

The industry needs university in which, the machineries are designed for the companies, he said.

Technology and knowledge can be learned and they cannot be bought with money, he said.

The knowledge-based economy creates an ecosystem in which selling crude material is neither desired nor necessary, he added.

He said that the oil economy destroyed entrepreneurship and human resources and promotes bureaucracy.

In an entrepreneurship ecosystem the universities and entrepreneurs can be more influential, he said.

Sattari said that the vice presidency plans for producing items, which are not imported due to sanctions.

The knowledge-based companies provide 130 to 140 services in Iran, he said.

A new generation of entrepreneurs establish knowledge-based companies, which will turn into big firms in near future, he said.

The knowledge-based companies cope with oil economy and deal with problems posed by sanctions, he added.

SB/MQ/MG