TEHRAN - Iran’s knowledge-based companies exported over 3.6 million tons of products, valued at $2.506 billion, in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended March 19, 2024), according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

Based on the IRICA data, some 1.158 million tons of goods, valued at $5.141 billion were also imported by knowledge-based companies into the country from March 21, 2023, to March 19, 2024.

About 85 percent of the goods imported by the knowledge-based companies came from China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Turkey, Germany, and India, IRNA reported.

The domestic knowledge-based companies exported their products to China, Iraq, the UAE, Turkey, and Russia in this period, IRICA said.

In this period, the knowledge-based companies accounted for 2.6 and 5 percent of the country’s total exports in weight and value respectively.

Advanced materials and products based on chemical technologies accounted for about 80 percent of the export value of these companies. 

 China was Iran's first buyer of knowledge-based products in this period.

According to Iran’s Deputy Industry Minister Mohammad-Majid Fouladgar about 10,000 knowledge-based industrial companies are currently active across the country.

Speaking to the press during a visit to a factory in Chahar Mahal-Bakhtiari Province, Fouladgar Said the Industry Ministry is trying to increase this number even further.

“Although the ministry’s main approach in recent years has been to increase the number of knowledge-based industrial units in the country, it is also following a plan to benefit from the available capacities in the field of knowledge-based industries to improve the quality of such units,” Fouladgar said.

According to the official, the ministry is trying to create new markets for such companies to develop the activities of this sector even more.

“Out of the total number of knowledge-based companies in the country, about 100 companies operate on a large economic scale, which indicates that more actions should be taken to support this field,” he said.

Fouladgar put the number of semi-finished production units in the country as 21,000 units and said: “Of the mentioned figure, 8,000 units have a physical progress of over 60 percent and 2,300 units have a progress of over 80 percent.”

Back in October 2023, the head of Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO) said 717 knowledge-based production units are operating in the country’s industrial parks and zones.

According to Farshad Moghimi, 1,800 deals have been signed in the country’s industrial parks in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21-September 22, 2023) of which 50 have been with knowledge-based firms.

“One of the most important requirements of knowledge-based companies is the distribution of their products in the market; Knowledge-based companies should check the country's needs and make sure that after producing a product or investing in knowledge and technology, their capital will return,” Moghimi said.

According to the official, the Industry, Mining and Trade Ministry has recently unveiled a support package for knowledge-based companies.

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