The secretary of the knowledge-based economy and culture-building technologies development headquarter pointed out the crises made by coronavirus in countries of the world and emphasized that the virus has created many opportunities, from attention to the country’s infrastructures to the discovery of extraordinary talents in biotechnology and artificial intelligence.

Coronavirus brought many difficulties to our lives and several people lost their loved ones. The medical staff made many sacrifices and became martyrs in this battle. However, we should not overlook the benefits of corona for our country, especially the knowledge-based companies that were able to achieve many great things by relying on their abilities and with the support of the public and the authorities.

Corona virus is a deadly disease that will spread all over the country if not dealt with intelligently and responsibly. We need something more than medical equipment to fight coronavirus, for which knowledge-based companies have come to the field.

In this regard, Fars News Agency has had an interview with Parviz Karami, the secretary of the knowledge-based economy and culture-building technologies development headquarter, to talk about the knowledge-based companies’ activities and achievements in the battle against corona. The text of the interview is presented below:

* Passing the pandemic stage of corona

* Discovering extraordinary talents in biotechnology and artificial intelligence

* Producing and exporting corona diagnosis kits in 20 days by Iranian knowledge-based companies based on international standards

* Signing a contract to produce vaccines and drugs for corona

* Developing online education and online shopping

* Making efforts to maintain businesses damaged by corona

* Exporting corona-related products to European countries, as well as Southeast Asia and neighboring countries

* Corona showed the ability and social resilience and solidarity of the Iranian community to the world

* Passing the pandemic stage of corona

- In your opinion, what stage has the country reached in the face of the coronavirus?

Karami: fortunately, the national corona fight committee has announced that we have passed the pandemic stage of the disease owing to the sacrifice of the medical staff, cooperation of the people and abilities of knowledge-based companies. Today, COVID-19 is under control by adhering to social distancing. However, we still need to adhere to health instructions.

Scientific research and findings by scientists in various countries on the coronavirus show that many countries have gone through a period of crisis, and now must go through a period of confrontation and a controlled period. We must take confrontation and prevention so seriously that the country does not face such a challenge again.

* Discovering extraordinary talents in biotechnology and artificial intelligence

It is predicted that the disease’s rate will decrease by fall and a stable condition will be established in the country. After that, we will face different scenarios.

Corona caused trouble, suffering, market slump and losing of loved ones. Nevertheless, it brought many advantages, from increased national self-confidence to updating medical protocols, from attention to the country’s infrastructures to the discovery of extraordinary talents in biotechnology and artificial intelligence.

- Could you please elaborate on the role of knowledge-based companies in this field?

Karami: we should never forget that knowledge-based companies and startups showed their abilities during the pandemic of corona and greatly helped the people and the country, in a way that the topic of knowledge-based companies and their capabilities was discussed in all gatherings.

During the corona crisis, we witnessed the role of knowledge-based companies in the prevention of the spread of the disease. In this regard, the Supreme Leader of the country drew the attention of the authorities and the people to the activities and measures of the knowledge-based companies in the area of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and production of medical equipment and drugs, suggesting that Iran may engineer a COVID-19 vaccine sooner than other countries. On the other hand, the effective activities of knowledge-based companies have been indicated in most reports presented by president in groups of parties and politicians and in the latest report of the spokesperson of the parliament. Now, the people and the society have seen the fruits of scientific and technological authority and a strong Iran in the perspective of knowledge.

* Producing corona diagnosis kits in 20 days by Iranian knowledge-based companies based on international standards

- So, it could be expressed that significant developments have been made in the field of science and technology, is that right?

Karami: yes, Iran has experienced considerable growth in the field of science and technology in the past decade. For instance, Iran reached 15^th in the field of science production in 2019 from 52^nd in 2002, which might not be believable to some people. This means that our knowledge-based companies are able to produce corona detection kits in 20 days based on the international standards. Now, if our knowledge-based companies, startups, and accelerators are showing their ability on the world stage, it is because of the rich scientific and technological support that Iran has nurtured over the years.

* Strengthening the technology and innovation ecosystem in the production of sanctioned goods

- Could you please explain about the measures taken by the Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs in the battle against corona?

Karami: last year, the Vice-Presidency developed a program entitled “dealing with sanctions; production of sanctioned goods”, in a way that the Vice-Presidency announced a call on sanctioned goods and equipment in the year of production leap, aiming to support the companies of the field with the mediation of the innovation and technology ecosystem that has been strengthened in the last few years. Therefore, we practiced the production of sanctioned products last year and achieved many successes.

During the start of corona pandemic at the end of the last year, the Vice-Presidency prioritized the development of health and biotech ecosystem, attempting to manage the ecosystem based on the capacity and abilities of knowledge-based companies and startups in the medical fields.

In the battle against coronavirus, the Vice-Presidency has followed up two main dimensions of “prevention, diagnosis and treatment” with an emphasis on drug and vaccine production to fight corona and “management of using the capacities of knowledge-based companies and startups” concomitantly.

In the field of prevention, we had equipment and supplies such as masks, various types of gels, disinfectants, supplements and supplements, as well as medical protocols, under the supervision of the scientific corona fight committee.

Drugs should be managed properly and we must reach mass production, which will be possible with the help of knowledge-based companies.

 

 

* Signing a contract to produce corona drugs and vaccines

- What is the status of the country in terms of corona drug production?

Karami” several projects have been supported to prevent, diagnose, and treat vaccine. We have concluded contracts with vaccine engineering and drug producing companies. In the field of prevention, consumer necessities such as latex gloves, three-layer, N95, N99 masks and production lines were needed, and quality licenses for these devices should be obtained as soon as possible.

The necessary licenses have been obtained at the level of national corona committee with the help of the Vice-Presidency. Of course, support has been provided for hand and surface disinfectants, large-scale technology projects that are used in the production of three-layer surgical and nano mask production line, and construction of several types of devices in the field of disinfection, which was necessary for plasma oxygen water vapor or UV.

In the field of production of diagnostic and rapid extraction, serology, or plasma kits that any kind of community and health sector needed, we tried to identify the need and provide the necessary assistance to produce and build them.

We can also refer to the support of the development of macro data analysis platforms based on artificial intelligence, as well as the smart assistant analysis of medical images and systems, which has led to the production of laboratory devices such as centrifuges, ellipses, thermal imaging devices, manufacturing detectors, and the production of quality detectors.

High-tech equipment such as ventilators, bipeps, operating room devices, ICUs, antiviral drugs, or any other drug in the global community would be quickly mass produced by the technology ecosystem inside Iran. This has been possible with the effort and power of knowledge-based companies in the field of biotechnology.

*We are the regional power in the field of biotechnology

We realized the power of the biotechnology in the country in a way that we are recognized as the first power in the region. There is no drug, vaccine or protocol required in the country that cannot be provided by the ecosystem along with the production of medical equipment.

There are some knowledge-based companies working in the field of clinical studies and medical trials. Thousands of tests, thousands of hours of clinical research have been conducted on various drug and health related issues and protocols, all of which have been the results of the ability of knowledge-based companies in various areas.

*Creating online education and online shops

- There has been a movement called “CoronaPlus” to heighten awareness about the disease. Could you please explain about the program?

Karami: yes. We had problems and crises in different areas when we wanted to encourage people to stay at home and observe social distancing issues. For example, the issue of education and the crisis of how schools, universities, meetings and human communities work must be closed, but education must continue so that things do not go out of order. Therefore, the Vice-Presidency entered the field and helped startups working in the area through establishing a program called “CoronaPlus”.

We have entered the area of startups active in the area of social and online issues and have made proper planning in this regard. We initiated the “CoronaPlus” movement to support startups and start online education structures with the help of knowledge-based companies. By doing so, we attempted to persuade people to stay home as long as necessary. The program of “online health” is also initiated with great foundation.

In addition to online education and shopping, we have added social accountability and social innovations to the agenda, in a way that we have supported the online transfer of goods, content production, leisure time and online tourism and sports, which has been increased in the form of five types of program. We have attempted to eliminate problems in people’s lives during the time of the outbreak. Even people could meet their online health needs without going to a lab, pharmacy or office.

In the field of online education, we have identified good platforms in the country that have helped increase the capacity of bandwidth, infrastructure, and more to help schools, universities, and the country, and in the field of online transportation, facilities have been facilitated.

*Facilitating the elimination of problems of knowledge-based companies with government structures and organizations

- Have you provided facilities for startups?

Karami: we have provided support such as financial facilities with a low interest rate, supplying the technical infrastructures, supporting advertisements on the social media and TV and supporting digital marketing. In addition, we were also facilitators of obstacles and activities with government organizations and structures to define and implement if there was a problem with their way.

* Attempting to maintain businesses damaged by corona

- Some businesses have been damaged by corona. What are your plans for these businesses?

Karami: there have been companies that were seriously damaged by the virus and the Vice-Presidency has aimed to keep them rolling. We have considered some conditions for these companies in order to reduce their layoff rate and receive financial support. These companies were mainly digital tourism companies, financial technologies, smart transportation or food preparation platforms, which were good for the country, but unfortunately they were damaged in the corona crisis.

* Export of corona-related products to European, Southeast Asia and neighboring countries- What measures have been taken to export knowledge-based corona products?

Karami: in the field of production, the requirements for prevention, treatment, pharmaceuticals and startups were necessary for the country to meet the needs of the country in the first place, so that after mass production and meeting the needs, a good position for export is provided. With the cooperation of factories and companies in the field of production and equipment, these licenses were obtained and these companies started exporting.

We have good exports to European countries, European countries, Southeast Asia, surrounding countries and neighbors such as Iraq, Turkey, Indonesia and other countries in the field of mask, gel, disinfectants, medical equipment and laboratory equipment.

Before we produced Iranian kits in the country, we bought the kits that were produced by other countries to protect the lives of our compatriots and people.

When Dr. Sattari or Hajianzadeh announced that we had succeeded in building and exporting a diagnostic kit through the national media, and that we had the conditions to export to Germany and Turkey, some media outlets misbehaved and blackmailed in this regard.

Before the country faced the corona crisis, we did not know that knowledge-based companies had the ability to produce diagnostic kits within 20 days. Therefore, before we started producing corona kits in the country, we had bought kits from other countries, and these kits arrived in the country through land or sea borders, which were built and exported by the students' companies.

In the field of manufacturing, requirements such as ventilators, oxygenators, bypasses, artificial intelligence, intelligent assistants who helped the medical team identify COVID-19 through files and photos, have now been issued to several countries, including India and several European countries. Our knowledge-based companies were able to create an opportunity for the country and themselves from the global threat in a short time.

The accelerators that have emerged in the technology and innovation ecosystem over the last few years have never been known to be capable and no one believed that they put their efforts on the table with great effort. Such cases helped to show the capabilities of the companies of the Islamic Republic of Iran's scientific authority to the international community.

* Corona showed the power, solidarity and social resilience of Iran to the world.

…- And final words

• Karami: nevertheless, corona has brought many hardships and has led to losing loved ones. The medical staff have made many sacrificed and have become martyrs in the front against corona. However, the benefits of this disease, especially for knowledge-based companies, should not be neglected.

During the crisis, both the people and the authorities realized that “we can”, as mentioned by the Supreme Leader of the country several years ago. Now, we have reached a point where the most important statements of the authorities is about the abilities of startups and knowledge-based companies, which required national self-belief.

Globally, all the press and media blackmail that has been used by the opposition media against the country for several years has been refined. The global community witnessed the solidarity and social resilience of the Iranian nation. Many of our neighboring countries, which have claimed great progress and development towards us, as well as European and American countries, have witnessed adversity and social security crises. We thank God that these bitter events did not take place in Iran due to the efforts of the good people of our country and the ability of the knowledge-based companies, especially the self-sacrifice of our medical and treatment staff.

According to the statements of the Supreme Leader in the second step of the revolution, it is important to focus on the domestic talents in allocating responsibilities to the creative and revolutionary youth of the country. When we assign work to these individuals, the results will be joyful and successful. I think from this perspective, corona has refined Iran and introduced what it is to the international community, and introduced the power of Iran's ability and authority to society, which was one of corona's blessings.