The vice president for science and technology affairs, chairman of Iran national innovation fund and head of Kish free zone signed a cooperation agreement to create an innovation ecosystem and transform Kish Island into a smart city and exploit the innovation tower.

According to the information center of national elites foundation, Sorena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology affairs, considered the goal of the agreement to be turning Kish into an innovation ecosystem and a smart and technological city during the ceremony to sign a cooperation agreement in this regard. He stated: the main goal of this agreement is turning Kish into an innovative and smart island. Creating the innovation tower of Kish is one of the topics of the agreement, which is a step toward turning Kish Island into a smart, innovative and technological pole.

Sattari regarded the exploitation of the innovation tower of Kish to be in line with the goals of this agreement, expressing: our main goal is to create an innovation ecosystem in the region with a fast pace by relying on all indigenous merits of the island. Expressing that Kish uses valuable hidden capacities to boost the knowledge-based ecosystem with the help of activists of the innovation ecosystem, asserting: sea economic, information technology and communications, tourism and biotechnology are just some parts of the hidden abilities of the region. I am sure that the use of these capacities by startups and knowledge-based companies will soon make a great transformation in the knowledge-based economy from Kish Island.

Sattari continued: biotechnology and production of biotech drugs is an ability of knowledge-based companies and startups. Initial steps of this transformation will soon be taken in Kish, and a new economy will emerge with the export space available on the island.

The president of the national elites foundation talked about the services and benefits provided by “Kishvandan” in the first place and the whole country to use the services of knowledge-based companies and startups based in Kish Island, adding: seven thousand students are present in the island, 70% of whom are studying in higher education levels. This extraordinary human resource capacity creates an opportunity that will revolutionize the ecosystem of innovation.

Establishment of Technological Knowledge-based Companies Will Be Facilitated

In another part of the ceremony, Ali Vahdat, the chairman of Iran national innovation fund, announced the support of the process by the fund, continuing: one of the concerns of knowledge-based companies is a work space. We have designed the related regulations from the start of the project in order to facilitate the provision of a work space for these businesses.

The chairman of Iran national innovation fund pointed out the implementation of incentive policies to accelerate the pace of establishment of knowledge-based companies in innovative regions or science and technology parks.

He added: facilities have been provided to intermediate entities, including accelerators, and they can also use the fund's mortgage facilities and expand their operations.

We Welcome the Presence of Knowledge-based Companies

Gholam Hossein Mozafari, the chairman of the board and CEO of Kish Free Zone Organization, expressed that the foundation has been laid to become a pilot company in Kish space, adding: the will and belief to turn Kish into a technological, innovative and knowledge-based region has been shaped and this area can be a place for economic and business partners in the region to exchange funds.

He also announced the formation of a workshop in Kish Free Zone, affirming: we will dedicate this place to innovative and knowledge-based companies and will create centralized workshops and will provide a space to knowledge-based companies.

Cooperation on Automation of Kish Free Zone

Signing of this trilateral cooperation agreement will lead to the creation of Kish Technology Center for knowledge-based and export companies, startups, financial supply units, accelerators and other intermediary units.

The mentioned organizations will work with each other to turn Kish Island into a scientific, research, and educational pole and a model for sustainable development by using new technologies and forming a suitable ecosystem for technological investors.

It is aimed to use the advantages of the region to pave the way for establishment of innovative projects, develop innovative projects in other regions of the country, penetrate into global markets, and boom the export of knowledge-based products.

The main goal of signing this agreement was turning Kish Free Zone into a pilot for leading technological and innovative projects, attempting to turn Iran into a leading innovative region.

The Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs will cooperate in equipping the building of innovation tower and recruiting knowledge-based companies, accelerators, and units related to the project for establishment in the project.

Iran national innovation fund supports the projects of knowledge-based companies by providing facilities, investing and establishing joint funds within the framework of regulations of the fund.

In addition, the strategic committee encompassing the representatives of the three parties of the contract will follow up the implementation of the agreement and the process of advancement of work.