TEHRAN – The Department of Environment (DOE) and the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology signed a memorandum of understanding to open an environmental innovation center, Mohammad Reza Tourchi, DOE consultant for the development of technology and knowledge-based affairs, has said.

This memorandum is about the establishment of an innovation center at the DOE with the aim of assessing the needs, guiding and supporting startups and knowledge-based companies in order to improve the quality of service provided by this organization and solve the problems and challenges of the country's environment and facilitate the implementation process of projects, he explained.

The memorandum will be inked on the eve of the 20th environmental exhibition, which will be held from November 20 to 23 at the permanent location of Tehran International Exhibitions, IRNA reported on Monday.

It provides a suitable opportunity for knowledge-based, innovative companies and start-ups to benefit from the support of this innovation center by introducing their capabilities in response to the country's environmental needs and challenges and taking steps toward the commercialization of their products.

Knowledge-based ecosystem to solve environmental issues

The Department of Environment (DOE) decided to use the capacities of knowledge-based companies with the aim of solving environmental problems, DOE chief Ali Salajeqeh has said.

The center aims to assess the needs, guide and support startups and knowledge-based companies.To date, 437 knowledge-based companies active in the field of the environment have been identified, he stated, IRNA reported on Wednesday.

The companies have been divided based on their environmental expertise, such as waste, wildlife, pollution, etc. so that the capacities can be used in all environmental fields, he said, adding, they have entered the operational phase and we are currently using domestic production for environmental monitoring.

The use of digital and advanced technologies plays an effective role in protecting the environment, Salajeqeh said, noting, technologies in this field need to be used in areas such as monitoring and tracking, census, and waste management.

Iran Innovation and Technology House, as a place to display Iranian technologies, hosted 30 technological achievements in the field of environment.

Among the most important achievements included removing unpleasant odors from wastewater treatment plants, wastewater treatment, biodegradable polymers, hospital waste disposal, electric and heat-generating microturbines, e-motorcycles, four-wheeled motorcycle, lithium batteries, and wind turbines.

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