TEHRAN – The vice presidency for science and technology in cooperation with the ministry of foreign affairs is planning to boost ‘technology diplomacy’ through expanding innovation and technology centers in export target countries.

Knowledge-based companies are seriously collaborating with the ministry of foreign affairs to expand target markets, IRNA quoted Sourena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology, as saying on Sunday.

He referred to the recent inauguration of an innovation center in the African country of Kenya as a good example of technology diplomacy.

During a three-day visit to Kenya, Sattari met with Betty Mania, Secretary of the Kenyan Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development, discussing ways to expand bilateral relations, IRNA reported on Friday.

Currently, some 6,000 knowledge-based companies are active in the country, manufacturing diverse products to meet the needs of the domestic market while saving large amounts of foreign currency.

The fields of aircraft maintenance, steel, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment, oil, and gas are among the sectors that researchers in technology companies have engaged in, leading to import reduction.

Sattari told the Tehran Times in October 2020 that although U.S. sanctions have caused exports of knowledge-based companies to decline over the past three years, the exports are projected to reach the pre-sanctions level of more than $1 billion by the end of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 20).

MG