TEHRAN – Iranian knowledge-based companies will attend the Export Gateway to Africa exhibition to facilitate access to the African market.

The Export Gateway to Africa will take place at Turkey’s Istanbul Expo Center on December 17-19, with the aim of creating a wide trade network extending to Africa. 

Companies active in the fields of "oil, gas, petrochemical, polymer and plastic", "agricultural products, machinery, beverages, food and packaging", "medical equipment, health and medicine", "technical and engineering services", "machinery industries and equipment", "transportation and logistics", "building and construction materials", "tourism", "information technology, telecommunications, electricity, electronics and smart city", "mining industries", and "textiles, clothing, bags, and shoes" can display their products in the expo.

This exhibition provides the opportunity to meet the world's leading brands and suppliers, research, trade, discover innovations, and benefit from the experience of leading decision makers in various industries to the Iranian firms, ISNA reported on Saturday.

Knowledge-based companies and creative startups have grown over the past five years, and Iran has risen 45 places in the Global Innovation Index, according to the UNESCO 2021 Report.

Strengthening knowledge-based companies on agenda

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei designated the current Iranian year (March 2022-March 2023) as “The Year of Production: Knowledge-Based and Job-Creating”.

Knowledge-based companies and creative startups have grown in Iran over the past five years.Strengthening knowledge-based companies are on the agenda, raising hope for reducing obstacles on the path to development.

The Leader has called on all Iranians, including citizens and government officials, to work hard to boost knowledge-based production and create new jobs.

In this regard, a strategic technology development headquarters was formed and 362,000 technological projects and 154 commercialization projects were supported, in addition to the inauguration of 23 national mega projects.

Moreover, in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem development, 65 creative houses and innovation centers, and 30 specialized accelerators have been established with the aim of empowering and strengthening the export capacity of knowledge-based, creative, and technological companies.

So, over 7,000 knowledge-based and 1,600 creative companies have so far been registered and started operations.

The fields of biotechnology, agriculture, food industries, chemical technologies aircraft maintenance, steel, gas, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and medicine, oil, electronics and telecommunications, information technology, and computer software are among the sectors in which researchers in technology companies are working.

Today, the country's knowledge-based ecosystem accounts for more than 3 percent of the GDP. And the figure is projected to reach 5 percent, however, the main goal is to step toward a 10 percent share in GDP, the former vice president for science and technology Sourena Sattari said in February.

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.

FB/MG