New production lines of knowledge-based products have been exploited in Ardabil Province in the presence of Sorena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology affairs. Sattari also opened three honey and honey byproducts innovation centers, medicinal plants, as well as an animation, media and computer games innovation center.

According to the information center of national elites foundation, Sorena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology affairs, emphasized the attraction of private sector’s capital in the field of research and technology during the meeting of dialogue council of the private sector and officials in Ardabil Province, stating: the government money is not usable in the field of research and technology. In fact, the capital of the private sector is required to support entrepreneurship and advance research activities.

The vice president for science and technology affairs added: the field of research will not be improved without the support of private sector capital, and if a product is produced through it, the product will not be in line with the technology of foreign competitors. Research minus the private sector’s capital means government factories that mostly do not present acceptable and updated products to the market.

The president of the knowledge-based economy and culture-building technologies development headquarter expressed in a gathering of private sector activists: the role of government can be to build the right infrastructure to facilitate the absorption of capital by the innovation ecosystem. Tax and customs exemptions, as well as the provision of low-interest loans, can also be an incentive to expand the activities of technology-based companies and the private sector in general.

Explaining the details of industry-university cooperation, the vice president for science and technology affairs mentioned: importing production lines and generating jobs in the country is valuable in nature. However, this type of industry generation cannot be expected to create a deep and sustainable relationship with academia section.

The Driving Force of Progress in the Country

According to Sattari, the relationship between industry and academia is formed when the industry itself emerges from the heart of the university and the university technology activist provides the most up-to-date and advanced devices and parts and materials needed by the industry.

Sattari continued: there will be no knowledge-based industry and we will continue to depend on other countries as long as the idea, design and implementation are not domestically made.

The president of the national elites foundation also marked: when we asked all the authorities to support online taxis in the competition of Internet taxis and traditional sectors, we believed that young innovators would win against traditional thinking.

In addition to pointing out the multidimensional importance of sectors such as biotechnology, Sattari claimed: crises such as the outbreak of the coronavirus have once again reminded us of the role of the academia, research and technology in national and local problems.

The academia must be able to respond appropriately to any national or provincial problems and be able to support the industry with the results of its research.

Development with a Focus on Local Potentials

Pointing out the innovation-based development features, Sattari affirmed: any province is developed from the inside and by relying on its own entrepreneurs and creative youth. Knowledge-based companies have had considerable effects on areas such as biotechnology, machinery, medicine, IT and other areas, making a sales rate of 120 thousand billion Tomans, which is a considerable number.

Opening Several Projects during a One-day Trip

During the trip, Sattari opened the innovation complex of Ardabil Province.  

The inauguration of the New Business Services and Technology Center in Ardabil and the unveiling of Dizalin and the signing of a contract with the Pharmaceutical Factory and the Jihad University of Tehran Medicinal Plants Research Institute were among the other events of this provincial visit.

Sattari also visited several different exhibitions dedicated to the supply of knowledge-based and innovative products of companies operating in the province.

Sattari also attended separate meetings with the representative of the Supreme Leader and the Friday Imam of the province to talk about the latest developments in the knowledge-based economy ecosystem.