Tehran to Host Transport, Logistics Forum in Nov.

EghtesadOnline: Considering Iran’s special conditions after it opened its doors to international business, it is vital for the country to make major improvements in its business atmosphere and strategy.

News ID: ۷۷۹۵۱۹

03 October 2017

The re-flourishing of various economic fields will definitely depend on the development of transportation sector, which is why the sector has assumed a pivotal role in Iran’s 2025 vision plan.

In this climate, the Iran Transportation & Logistics Forum will be held by Transportation & Logistics Federation of Iran and Iranian Inc. for Contemporary International Conferences & Fairs on November 5-6 with the main aim of introducing transportation projects and attracting domestic and foreign investments, Financial Tribune reported.

“As Iran has been the cradle of civilization and crossroad of important cultures as of ancient ages, transportation has always been a concern for the country. Today, Iran is recognized as a transportation hub at regional and international levels, with remarkable capacities and potentials for further development of this sector,” according to IICIC’s website.

“The Iran Transportation & Logistics Forum, with full support of the government, Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture and other relevant organizations, would be greatly honored to invite all national and international investors, transportation companies active in various disciplines of this sector (air, surface, naval and railroad transportation), consulting companies, scientific and educational institutions, banks, insurance and financial companies to actively take part in this significant event for accessing firsthand information on Iran’s transportation and logistics investment and cooperation opportunities as well as familiarizing with latest developments and trends in this sector.”

Keynote speakers at the upcoming event include Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi, President of Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization Mehdi Karbasian, President of Ports and Maritime Organization Mohammad Rastad, President of Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture Masoud Khansari, President of European Logistics Association Paolo Bisogni, Secretary-General of the European Freight and Logistics Leaders Forum Gavin W. Rose, Ambassador of Antwerp Port Authority Frank Jozef S. Geerkens and President of Transportation and Logistics Federation of Iran Masoud Polmeh.

A wide range of topics will be discussed at the event, including but not limited to multimodal transportation, transit and reexports, management and operation of ports, free zones and special economic zones, transportation pricing, financing infrastructures projects and transportation programming and management.

All plenary sessions will be held on November 5-6, 2017, at Tehran’s Islamic Republic of Iran International Conference Center located opposite Velenjak Avenue on Chamran Highway.

An exhibition will also be held at the forum’s venue for all interested companies and organizations active in various fields of transportation and logistics to showcase their latest products, technological advancements and services to their target audiences.

Iran has a broad variety of business and logistics attractions to offer. In the past few years, the Iranian government has actively sought to develop the logistics infrastructures and improve its global ranking.

The country used to be one of the most important hubs on the ancient Silk Road because of its strategic location in the Middle East.

Some of the key points about Iran’s logistics industry, according to a white paper published by Tehran-based management consulting firm ILIA Corporation, are as follows:

- Vast country, with about 2,500 km of sea borders and 6,500 km of land borders

- Neighbors: Iran has land and sea borders with 15 countries, according to Unescap.org

- Easy access to open seas and many Middle-East countries

- Located in five international transit and business corridors: International North-West Transport Corridor, Transport Corridor of Europe, Caucasus and Asia, International East-West Transport Corridor, South Asia Corridor and Asian Land Transportation Infrastructure Development

- Usage of four-way transportation with proper infrastructure such as: roads, railroads, airways and seaways

- Great capacity of exchanges between Iran’s northern and southern neighbors

- Several strategic ports such as Shahid Rajaee Port

- Free trade zones, especially along the Persian Gulf

- Low price of fuel and energy

- Low labor costs

Iran’s Logistics Performance Index was ranked 96th among 160 countries by the World Bank in 2016.

LPI is an interactive benchmarking tool to help countries identify the challenges and opportunities they face in undertaking trade logistics and what they can do to improve their performance.

The index is based on a worldwide survey of operators on the ground (global freight forwarders and express carriers), providing feedback on the logistics “friendliness” of the countries in which they operate and those with which they trade.

“Our target is to reach 75th position by the end of the Sixth Five-Year Development Plan [2017-22],” deputy minister of roads and urban development, Amir Amini, has been quoted as saying.