TEHRAN –The second exhibition on knowledge-based products in food, medicine, and medical equipment industries was inaugurated in Tehran on Sunday and will wrap up on Tuesday.

More knowledge-based companies have welcomed the exhibition compared to the previous edition of the exhibition. A total of 20 new knowledge-based products, including 11 radiopharmaceuticals, anti-cancer drugs, eye solutions, pain killers, and injectable drugs for prostate cancer detection, as well as two traditional medicines, and seven medical supplies and equipment, have been unveiled, IRNA reported.

In addition to knowledge-based and technological companies that are active in the fields of medicine, raw materials, and medical equipment, a number of science and technology parks and health technology development centers have attended the exhibition.

One of the other features of the second exhibition is the service desk set up by the Food and Drug Administration this year.

Over 60 countries import Iranian medical equipment

On January 13, the head of Iran’s Union of Medical Equipment Manufacturers and Exporters said, “Medical equipment worth around 20 million dollars is exported to more than 60 countries annually.”

More than 70 percent of medical equipment and 100 percent of normal hospital beds are domestically made, IRNA quoted Abdolreza Yaqoubzadeh as saying.

Also, over 95 percent of specific ICU and CCU beds and more than 85 percent of operating room medical equipment such as anesthesia machines and other equipment are manufactured with cutting-edge technology in the country, he added.

Yaqoubzadeh went on to say that the country's need for medical equipment production is three to four billion dollars per year, some one billion dollars of which is imported.

IRAN LAB EXPO

The 11th exhibition of Iranian-made laboratory equipment and materials named ‘IRAN LAB EXPO 2024’ was held in Tehran from January 2 - 5.

Supported by the Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, the international exhibition showcased 10,500 innovative products, IRNA reported.

A total of 366 technological companies presented their latest technological achievements, laboratory equipment, and advanced testing.

Moreover, some nine technological products of knowledge-based companies were unveiled during the exhibition.

The 2024 exhibition of Iranian-made laboratory equipment and materials displayed Iran-made products in 14 thematic sections including "Oil and Petrochemical”; “Electricity";   "Electronics and Software"; "Civil and Construction", "Mechanics"; "Chemistry and Metallurgy"; "Agriculture and Environment"; "Basic Physics"; "General Laboratory Equipment”; "Laboratory materials"; "Medical engineering and biomaterials"; "Industrial test equipment"; "Calibration services" and "Educational and laboratory equipment for schools" were among different sections of the technological exhibition.

Exporting laboratory equipment to neighboring countries on agenda

On December 30, 2023, the Vice President for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-based Economy, Rouhollah Dehqani-Firouzabadi, said the country is planning to export laboratory equipment to neighboring countries.

Knowledge-based companies started to meet the country’s technological needs in the past decade, he said, adding that the Vice Presidency supported the companies to manufacture laboratory equipment, Mehr News Agency reported.

Now, various pieces of laboratory equipment are manufactured at prices much lower than the same foreign products, Dehqani-Firouzabadi noted.

Foreign delegations that attend Iranian exhibitions will be familiarized with the country’s capabilities, he said, adding that the export of knowledge-based products was $300 million in the year to March 2021, but increased to $600 million the year after.

The export has surged to $1.5 billion so far in the current Iranian calendar year and is forecast to hit $2 billion by the end of the year, he said.

MT/MG