Ministry official: Over 4,600 knowledge-based firms operating in Iran

By Sadeq Dehqan & Amirhadi Arsalanpour

More than 4,600 new technology-based firms are currently operating in Iran, 46 percent of which are manufacturing or industrial units that take credit for some 80 percent of the profits yielded by the country’s knowledge-based enterprises, a Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade of Iran official said.

“Over 50 percent of the knowledge-based companies in Iran are newly-founded, which means they are yet to reach the intended level of production and earnings,” said Asghar Mosaheb, the small-scale industries deputy head of Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization, in an exclusive interview with Iran Daily.

Citing the organization’s positive approach toward knowledge-based firms, Mosaheb said, “Transfer technology, startup companies and knowledge-based firms are among the organization’s top priorities.”

“To date, 808 qualified units all over the country’s industrial parks have been identified, 435 of which have been granted licenses to turn into a new technology-based firm,” the Iranian official said.

“We negotiated with the Department of Science and Technology to make room for these companies in trade centers, while work spaces have also been provided for these firms,” Mosaheb added.

According to Mosaheb, about 90 percent of industrial units in the country are small industrial units, which share one-fifth to a quarter of Iran’s industrial exports.

“Some exports by small industrial companies are carried out through export consortiums and export management firms,” Mosaheb added.

“A total of 207 foreign investors are also established in Iran’s industrial parks, which would trade based on their export regulations.”

Mosaheb said that Iran had been collaborating with various countries such as Germany, South Korea, Turkey and China in the field of small-scale industries.

“We have also been doing technological exchanges with South Korea through business-to-business conventions, with the eighth meeting set to be held within a month,” the Iranian official added.

Mosaheb said that a seventh Iranian delegation would be heading to Germany this year to negotiate the transfer of technology in the small-scale industry sector.

The Iranian official added, “A bill to support the export consortiums – after consultation with the experts of non-governmental organizations, namely, the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture – has been drafted and will be introduced to the Iranian Parliament.”

In accordance with the bill, Mosaheb said, “Export firms and consortiums will be officially recognized and the industry owners will be entitled to their services.”

Source: Iran Daily