TEHRAN –Iranian knowledge-based companies will participate in the 31st Vietnam International Medical and Pharmaceutical Exhibition which is scheduled to be held in Hanoi from May 9 to 12.

The Vice Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy will support the Iranian delegation.

The exhibition will focus on introducing the latest technologies, advancements, and outstanding achievements in the medical field.

Experts in the field of health and medicine from all over the world will attend the exhibition to advertise and introduce products; exchange experiences; seize investment and production opportunities; and explore new markets.

The exhibitors will showcase a wide range of products including pharmaceuticals, medical machinery and equipment; hospital services, medical tourism, dental, laboratory, analytical equipment, cosmetics, and beauty care equipment.

A business matching program and specialized seminars will also be held, along with charitable and social activities such as fundraising for poor patients, a blood donation event, health screening for the elderly, advice provision, and free check-ups for visitors.

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 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.

Exporting to neighbors

On December 30, 2023, 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