The number of knowledge-based companies reached 8,368 in the past Iranian calendar year that ended on March 20, an increase of 90 percent compared to a year earlier.

According to the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, about 750 new knowledge-based companies were launched in the year 1400 (March 2021-March 2022), while in the year 1401 (March 2022-March 2023) some 1,400 companies were launched, IRNA reported.

The companies are mainly active in the fields of “biotechnology, agriculture and food industries”, “pharmaceuticals and medicine”, “chemical materials and products” and “machinery and equipment”.

Other fields of activity include “medical devices and equipment”, “electricity and electronics, photonics, telecommunications”, “information technology and computer software”, “commercialization services” and “humanities”.

The Innovation and Prosperity Fund has paid a total of 27.8 trillion rials (nearly $55 million) to support knowledge-based companies over the last [Iranian calendar] year, IRNA reported.

In line with the law enforced on May 24, 2022, knowledge-based production is a priority of the government so the plan for promoting knowledge-based products has progressed well so far.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei designated the current Iranian calendar year, which started on March 21, 2022, as the year of “Production: Knowledge-Based and Job-Creating.”

Over the past couple of years, the concept of a ‘knowledge-based company’ has changed to a ‘knowledge-based society’, meaning that supporting knowledge-based companies will lead to many social and economic advantages for the public.

The Leader reemphasized the importance of boosting domestic production, as he had done in past years, saying the reason he placed so much emphasis on production was “because it boosts economic growth, it creates employment, it reduces inflation, it increases per capita income and it improves public welfare.”

To this end, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology has executed and supported several projects toward the goal of boosting knowledge-based production.

Moreover, the development of an innovation ecosystem is on the agenda, according to which 65 houses of innovation have been set up across the country.

The country’s progressing process of development has accelerated with the emphasis on the formation of the technology and innovation ecosystem and the approval of laws for supporting knowledge-based companies and boosting Iran-made products.

Today, we are witnessing the positive effects of adopting the approach in the economy, culture, and daily life of people.

the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy has reported that the sales of knowledge-based companies in the fiscal year 1400 (March 2021-March 2022) hit 4,000 trillion rials (about $8 billion) compared to the fiscal year 1399, an increase of 86 percent year on year.

Improving the scientific level of society, achieving high global rankings in the number of scientific articles, references, and patenting, reducing the illiteracy rate, and increasing the number of university courses and students are only a part of the achievements after the victory of the Islamic Revolution. /T.T/