TEHRAN – Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Innovation and Export Acceleration Center held a specialized meeting to review the export capacities of the country’s mineral products and related industries with the participation of experts in this field.

As reported by the ICCIMA portal, in this meeting, some startups and knowledge-based companies proposed research ideas, solutions, and innovative projects, and announced their readiness to collaborate with the country’s mining sector through joint ventures.

Speaking in this gathering, Head of ICCIMA Innovation and Export Acceleration Center Mehdi Eghtesadi underlined Iran’s distinct position as one the world’s top countries in terms of mineral reserves and said: “According to the Parliament Research Center, there are more than 68 types of minerals (non-oil) including iron ore, chromium, manganese, copper, gold, lead, zinc, etc. in the country.”

He put the volume of the country's discovered mineral reserves at about 37 billion tons, adding: “Iran ranks 15th in the world in terms of mineral resources, [the country’s mineral reserves are] valued at about $700 billion; the mining sector, however, accounts for only 0.6 percent of Iran's gross domestic product.”

Elsewhere in the meeting, Mohammad-Reza Bahraman, head of Iran Mining House, described the share of Iranian minerals in export markets as very small and said: "Especially in the field of construction stones, although we are the fourth-largest producer in the world, unfortunately, we have a small share in exports of this type of product."

The official noted that using innovative ideas and new technologies as well as conducting comprehensive research on destination markets could help the Iranian mining industry have a stronger presence in global markets and boost exports.

He called on the authorities active in the mining industry to have closer communication with the country’s research institutes and universities in order to have access to more up-to-date information and knowledge.

EF/MA