TEHRAN – The Iran-Russia Joint Technology Center was established at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University with the aim of implementing joint projects and developing bilateral technological cooperation.

Due to the high potential of Russia in the field of science, technology, and innovation and the interest of Iranian knowledge-based companies to develop technological cooperation with their Russian counterparts, it was scheduled to transfer and purchase high-tech products.
“Facilitating the transfer and exchange of technology between Iranian and Russian companies and the export of high-tech products”, “holding joint meetings and specialized courses”, “marketing high-tech products of knowledge-based companies”, “providing legal services for contracts”, “registration of patents and certificates required”, “technology tours for high-tech companies and Iranian specialists to facilitate presence in the Russian market” and “development of long-term research programs in priority areas” are among the activities of the center.

The share of knowledge-based companies in Iran's economy has exceeded $34 billion, a growth of 450 percent since 2019. In this center, 17 projects have been identified by Iranian knowledge-based companies and 5 projects by Russian technology companies. Currently, 7 of these projects are in the contract stage for purchasing, transferring, and exporting technology, as well as joint production in Iran, ISNA reported on Saturday.

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, five houses of innovation and technology were inaugurated in Kenya, China, Russia, Syria, and Turkey.

It is also planned to establish two innovation centers in Iraq and Armenia over the next months. 

In December 2021, Marzieh Shaverdi, the manager of the Innovation and Prosperity Fund, said Iran will launch production lines of knowledge-based products in seven countries, namely Turkey, Armenia, Afghanistan, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Syria, Iraq, and Kenya.

Knowledge-based companies

Today, Iran's knowledge-based ecosystem accounts for more than 3 percent of GDP. And the figure is projected to reach 5 percent, however, the main goal is to step toward a 10 percent share in GDP, Sattari told Fars on February 13.

The share of knowledge-based companies in the country's economy has exceeded 9 quadrillion rials (about $34 billion), and since 2019, it has experienced a growth of more than 450 percent, he stated.

There are currently 6,263 knowledge-based companies operating in the country, offering advanced products and services in various fields of technology to domestic and foreign markets, and some of them have entered international markets, Siavash Maleki, deputy head of the Fund, stated.

The fields of aircraft maintenance, steel, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, oil, and gas are among the sectors that researchers in technology companies have engaged in, leading to import reduction.

FB/MG