On the eighth national festival of cooperative management excellence, the vice president for science and technology affairs talked about the necessity of transition to support of innovative capitals and awarded co-operative activists.

According to the information center of national elites foundation, the eighth national festival of cooperative management excellence was held in the presence of Sorena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology affairs, and a number of activists of the field.

During the ceremony, Sattari talked about the complete preparation of the Vice-Presidency to support cooperatives in the ecosystem of knowledge-based economy, adding: with grants, we reduce the cost and risk of investments to promote a culture of knowledge-based and startup businesses in cooperatives.

According to Sattari, cooperatives in Iran are the product of a culture and should not be harmed by the oil money, and we must establish a new perspective toward the direction of supporting creative ideas to find their place in sustainable development.

Sattari confirmed the necessity of more interaction between cooperatives and innovation ecosystems, marking: we support the presence of cooperatives in investment on knowledge-based companies and startups.

Pointing out the reduced risk of producing knowledge-based products in advanced technology field, Sattari stated: we are ready to provide the infrastructure for the production of knowledge-based products and to take risks in this field as advanced technologies make the future of the country, from food or livestock, poultry and aquaculture to cognitive science, all transformative.

The president of the knowledge-based economy and culture-building technologies development headquarter mentioned the tangible and effective presence of activists in the innovation ecosystem of the country in sustainable development and economic revolution of the country, adding: more than 20,000 startup centers are active, six thousand of which have led to the establishment of companies. In addition, there are more than 4700 knowledge-based companies that earned 90 thousand billion Tomans for the country last year.

Macroeconomics Will Develop with an Ecosystem

Emphasizing that innovation is the most important capital and impeller of knowledge-based economy and provider of sustainable development. In this regard, he continued: it is not true that money is the most important necessity of sustainable development. Some Gulf states, even spending billions of dollars, were unable to establish a university alongside our country's industrial universities. This shows that innovation and technology are taught and development based on financial assets is not sustainable.

The president of the biotechnology development headquarter pointed out that the innovation ecosystem in biotechnologies will suitably form the industry in the field, affirming: in the field of biotech, there are knowledge-based companies that have achieved more than 300 billion Tomans.

Today, the biological ecosystem has reached a stage that it can produce any medicine based on needs of the country with no concerns. The maturity of the ecosystem in the biotech sector has now led to the formation of a real and dynamic industry. This ecosystem has resulted in the recruitment and maintenance of pharmacy graduates by knowledge-based companies and startups.

Sattari also considered the formation of a suitable context for emergence of human resources’ innovations and creativities as the foundation for transformational flourishes.

To Revive the Rooted Culture of Entrepreneurship

Pointing out the necessity of finding one’s identity based on native traits of the country in reviving the culture of entrepreneurship, Sattari claimed: more than four million youth is a capacity that does not exist in European countries. However, there is an ecosystem that helps the youth to be more successful. The main cause of this issue is lack of matching of the nature and structure of universities and curricula with native features of our country. If this structure is corrected based on the attitude of knowledge-based economy, there will remain no gaps between industry and university.

The vice president for science and technology affairs declared: fortunately, a movement has been formed in universities; for instance, the Islamic Azad University has aimed to create innovation centers. In addition to these units, the private sector has realized the priorities in the space, which will result in sustainable development. Fortunately, universities’ orientation is directed to occupation and wealth owing to the activities of the private sector, accelerators, innovation centers, and science and technology parks.

Appreciation of Top Individuals

Corporate activists and veterans received letters of appreciation from the vice president for science and technology affairs during the eighth national festival of cooperative management excellence.