TEHRAN – The first virtual exhibition of “Surge in Production and COVID-19 Achievements” started on Tuesday with 40 knowledge-based companies in attendance.

Being held with the support of Iran National Innovation Fund, the exhibition displays the latest achievements of 40 knowledge-based companies in the field of COVID-19, such as surgical instruments, antibiotics, painkillers, vitamins, allergy medication, and advances in the treatment of coronavirus, medical equipment, emergency medicine, first aid, and medical technology.

Clinical equipment, pharmaceuticals, laboratory technology, chemicals, cleaning and disinfectants, and related products, detergents, household, and industrial cleaners are also on display.

In this 10-day exhibition, software, applications, and automation in the field of IT and medicine are presented by knowledge-based companies.

This virtual exhibition, which is designed in three languages (Persian, English, and Arabic), provides an opportunity for foreign and international organizations to get acquainted with the achievements of Iranian knowledge-based companies and their needs in this context.
The exhibition will close on October 29.

Knowledge-based companies in full swing to tackle COVID-19

Ismail Ghaderifar, head of the center for strategic technologies development of the vice presidency of science and technology, has said that under sanctions in the most difficult conditions, Iran combatted the pandemic and knowledge-based companies could make the country independent. Moreover, they managed to produce pharmaceutical items required by the country's health system.

“Also, the production of medical equipment such as ventilators is one of the honors of knowledge-based companies, which is a vital and important item for ICU patients, which have even reached the export stage,” he said.

Electrospinning is another product made by knowledge-based companies, which can apply a nano-layer on the fibers. Europe which was the only producer of the product refused to transfer the production line to Iran due to sanctions, and the price of each production line was one million euros, he highlighted.

In September, Sourena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology, told the Tehran Times that some of the knowledge-based companies reached a production capacity of more than 200-300 thousand diagnostic kits per day, which surpassed the country’s need for diagnostic kits, and there is a great export potential.

Mehdi Kashmiri, director for technology and planning at the science ministry, said in July that about 450 knowledge-based companies were active in the country for manufacturing protective equipment and treatment products to fight the coronavirus.

Production of more than one million face masks per day, production of more than 1.5 liters of disinfectants per day, diagnostic kits, non-contact thermometers, protective clothing, ventilator are among the produces manufactured by these companies, he added.

Iranian-made innovative products in the field of diagnosis, screening, and fighting coronavirus were also unveiled to combat the disease, namely, ozone generator, nanotechnology face shields, disinfection gate, and molecular COVID-19 diagnostic kits.

FB/MG