Another Innovation Factory Kicks Off in Southeast Tehran

EghtesadOnline: A tech center has been launched in a deserted wood products factory dubbed Dayhim Innovation Factory in Pakdasht, southeast Tehran.

News ID: ۷۸۴۸۵۶

11 September 2019

Backed by Dayhim Investment Group, the factory has enlisted the support of Iran’s Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology.

According to the factory’s website, it will support startups and knowledge-based companies active in the field of robotics, Internet of Things, virtual reality, smart farming and e-health. The project is overseen by well-known Iranian entrepreneur, Shayan Shalileh.

The factory has planned laboratories for tech companies to carry out robotic and nanotech tests. It will host a tech exhibition to showcase the achievements of local startups and knowledge-based companies, according to Financial Tribune.

Dayhim will also invest in startups and support them by offering consulting services.

It extends shared working space to fledgling startups to help them curb overheads and focus on developing their business.

The factory recently hosted a coding boot camp where 60 talented youths between the ages of 16 and 22 gathered to learn about computer programing, artificial intelligence, Internet of things, robotics and mobile app development during a four-week program.

This boot camp was also supported by the Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology.

Participants in the program came from across Iran and were housed at the factory’s premises. They were encouraged to develop new business ideas or expand their previous endeavors with support from mentors.

Various workshops were held during the boot camp, covering a wide range of topics from business development to cybersecurity.

The camp was visited by Iran’s top ICT men, including Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari, Information Technology Organization’s Chief Amir Nazemi and his deputy for legal affairs, Mohammad Jafar Nanakar.

This provided the young talented participants with an opportunity to rub shoulders with major policymakers in the field and get a better understanding of business-government dealings.

Nationwide Trend

Many innovation centers have been set up in Iranian metropolises over the past few years, in line with the efforts to support startups and knowledge-based companies.

Several Iranian cities, including Tehran, Tabriz, Ardabil and Yazd, house innovation factories and tech parks.

The construction of three innovation centers, which has started in Fars, Khorasan Razavi and East Azarbaijan provinces, will likely be completed before the end of the current fiscal year (March 19, 2020).

All these projects resemble innovation factories in Tehran, such as Azadi and Highway, which have attracted numerous tech teams and startups.

Azadi Innovation Factory was launched in August 2018 at an abandoned chemicals factory near Azadi Square, west of Tehran. The center is backed by the Vice Presidential Office for Science and Technology and is managed by the Sharif University of Technology.

Highway, the capital's second innovation factory, is under construction. The factory is being established in an old building near Nobonyad Square on the northeastern flank of Tehran.

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.

As a result, the establishment of science and technology parks and innovation factories has gained momentum across Iran.