Collaborative Innovation Factory Launched

EghtesadOnline: An innovation factory was inaugurated in Machine Sazi Arak Company, located in Markazi Province, on Saturday.

News ID: ۷۴۸۲۶۸

26 August 2019

The factory is a fruit of collaboration between MSA, Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology and Arak's Science and Technology Park, ISNA reported.

"The city has followed Tehran in its push for establishing tech centers to support knowledge-based companies and startups," Sorena Sattari, vice president for science and technology, said during his visit to the newly launched center.

The factory aims to support businesses by providing them with various resources, facilitating the activities of enterprises and accelerating their growth, Financial Tribune quoted him as saying.

Sattari noted that the factory will provide shared working place, an opportunity to exchange ideas and solutions, legal and marketing consultation, as well as professional mentorship to startups and companies.

Appreciating the establishment of such institutions as part of Iran’s move to curb its dependency on oil revenues, Sattari said as the tech firms flourish gradually, they can both contribute to Machine Sazi Arak Company to apply smart solutions to its production chain and help promote digital economy in the country.

The construction of innovation factories as well as tech centers in the Iranian metropolises has gained momentum over the past few years.

The capital city of Tehran has pioneered the move with several university-based tech parks and innovation factories such as Azadi and Highway, which have attracted numerous tech teams and startups.

Similar projects resembling the innovation factories in Tehran were launched in other Iranian cities such as Shiraz in Fars Province, Tabriz in East Azarbaijan Province, and Isfahan and Yazd in the namesake provinces.

Extending support to new startups and technology firms has been on the government's agenda since 2013 when President Hassan Rouhani began his first term in office.