TEHRAN – The 80th house of innovation aiming to expand innovative services and products, strengthen cultural and creative industries, and help facilitate and accelerate the formation of creative companies was inaugurated in the city of Tabriz, northwestern East Azarbaijan province, on Tuesday.

During the past year, in order to realize a resilient and knowledge-based economy, a series of activities have been carried out to further develop the ecosystem of innovation and technology in the country, including attracting the participation of relevant ministries, approving and quickly implementing the law on the surge of knowledge-based production, expanding the activities of related to the law on the protection of knowledge-based companies and institutions.

In October 2021, Vice President for Science and Technology, Sourena Sattari, stated that there are currently about 1,400 creative companies operating in the country.

Over the few past years, the Iranian houses of innovation have been set up in several countries to develop the global market for knowledge-based products.The Vice Presidency for Science and Technology also supports the establishment of innovation houses in other countries to develop the export of knowledge-based products.

Exporting technological products of Iranian knowledge-based companies is one of the important and key programs of the vice presidency for science and technology, and in this regard over the past years, with the support of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, the Iranian houses of innovation have been set up in several countries to develop the global market for knowledge-based products.

These centers have already been set up in countries such as Russia, Turkey, China, Syria, Kenya, Armenia, and Iraq.

By supporting innovative ideas, and holding technological and innovative events, the centers will be a platform for the development and promotion of Iranian knowledge-based companies, startups, and creative industries.

The centers are mainly formed with the investment and support of the private sector to provide the necessary infrastructure for their exports through innovation houses.

Mehdi Ghalehnoei, an official with the vice presidency for science and technology, said in February that in the past Iranian calendar year which ended on March 20, knowledge-based companies gained about $800 million in revenue from export, and in the current year, the figure seems to reach up to $2 billion.

Africa, neighboring countries, Southeast Asia and Eurasia are our export target priorities, and we hope to create Iranian innovation and technology in all these areas, he added.

Also, in order to provide technological solutions to national challenges, a strategic technology development headquarters was formed and 362,000 technological projects and 154 commercialization projects were supported, in addition to the inauguration of 23 national mega projects.

Moreover, in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem development, 65 creative houses and innovation centers, and 30 specialized accelerators have been established, as well as empowering and strengthening the export capacity of knowledge-based, creative, and technological companies.

MG