Economic, cultural and social development is achieved in Tehran’s innovation district
According to the public relations of the University of Tehran Science and Technology Park ; the opening ceremony of Tehran University’s Innovation District was held.
This event was organized by the Science and Technology Park of Tehran University, in collaboration with the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, the Municipality, and Tehran University on Wednesday, June 1st at this organization.
Dr. Asadi, in the opening ceremony of Tehran’s Innovation District, presented a report on the organization’s performance and said: According to statistics, in 2022, more than 6,500 specialists are active in technology and knowledge-based companies that are members and located in the park.
He noted that the companies located in this park had $340,000 in exports last year; an announcement was issued for the acceptance of technology units, which 1,500 companies declared readiness, and of this number, 200 companies were located in the park.
Asadi explained the coordination done with the NAJA (Islamic Republic of Iran Law Enforcement Command) and the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT): Tehran University’s Science and Technology Park has been selected as the hub of the country’s parks to meet the needs of NAJA, and recently at the Smart Police event, 132 knowledge-based companies from across the country presented their services and products in the field of NAJA needs.
The president of Tehran University’s Science and Technology Park stated that last year, 17,453 square meters were added to the park’s operational space, and said: Also, during 2022, 8 branches of the park were established next to the colleges of this university, or a memorandum of understanding for their establishment was concluded with the colleges.
Asadi about the envisioned horizon for Tehran’s Innovation District stated: In the projected horizon of the Innovation District, the formation of Tehran’s technology ecosystem, technology clustering, risk removal, and facilitation of the launch of innovative businesses and enhancement of the urban economy are pursued.
He called startups, accelerators, companies, specialists, investors, students, and the people of the district the main players of the Innovation District and added: Sustainable, green, and smart living is the motto of the Innovation District and the reason for moving from science and technology parks towards innovation districts is to move from being single-purpose in economic development towards being multi-purpose, that is, economic, cultural, and social development.
Dr. Ali Asadi spoke about the characteristics of Tehran’s Innovation District and added: Increasing and improving the quantity and quality of academic research and innovation, creating synergy among knowledge-based companies, the possibility of urban economic development, creating places with entrepreneurial and innovative potentials, and creating the necessary platform for the growth of teams and companies with minimal government support are among the features of this district.
He stated that the expanse of Tehran’s Innovation District reaches more than 700 hectares, saying: This allows for the expansion of the business space, the creation of an open technology and innovation ecosystem, and the possibility of knowledge-based companies and accelerators being located there.
Asadi continued: Also, currently in the Innovation District of the City of Knowledge, there are 600 knowledge-based companies and it has the potential to employ about 18,000 graduates.
Tehran Innovation District; an intermediate zone for connecting industry, market, and knowledge-based to universities.
The Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy of the President also said in this ceremony that our duty is to provide infrastructure; the University of Tehran has a good human force and should benefit from private companies, students, and expert professors in the development of Tehran’s Innovation District.
Dr. Rouhollah Dehghani Firouzabadi, referring to the fact that Sharif University and the University of Science and Technology have an innovation district, said; the nature of the work of Tehran’s Innovation District will be different and, in this regard,, it is possible to use the existing financial capacities and the Production Leap Law to help the prosperity of the Innovation District.
Dehghani Firouzabadi added; the concept of social innovation is an important and serious concept that must be injected into the heart of Tehran, and this will be realized with the presence of prominent humanities professors at the University of Tehran.
He said regarding the content produced in the Innovation District; the private sector around the university, professors, and students should manage the Innovation District in such a way that we also provide the infrastructure.
Dehghani continued; the Innovation District has been created to convert science into wealth and this district is an intermediate area in connecting industry, market, and knowledge-based to universities.
The opening of Tehran’s Innovation District; a symbolic capital for the city of Tehran
The Minister of Science, Research, and Technology, in the opening ceremony of Tehran’s Innovation District, referring to the fact that the University of Tehran is the symbol of higher education and the flagbearer of science and technology in the country, and should be a leader in the fields of science and technology, said; the establishment of this district is an appropriate and team action with a source of goodness and blessing.
Dr. Mohammad Ali Zolfigol called the action of the University of Tehran, which was a group action, groundbreaking, and said; other universities can follow this movement.
Mohammad Ali Zolfigol said; the presence and residence of scholars, academicians, technologists, and innovators in any district increase their value and become a symbolic capital, this action of the University of Tehran turns part of the city into symbolic capital for the city of Tehran.
He mentioned: the Mayor of Tehran is supposed to soon establish the Science and Technology Park of Tehran, and agreements have been made about the Park of Dignitaries. The area that becomes the Science and Technology Park will have goodness and blessing.
The Minister of Science, Research, and Technology added, the University of Tehran takes on part of the duties of the Ministry of Science and moves as the flagbearer of science and technology. We will also have the utmost cooperation in the related sections.
The opening of Tehran’s Innovation District; a turning point in partnership modeling among various institutions
In this ceremony, the president of the University of Tehran also referred to the four-sided agreement on the opening of the University of Tehran’s Innovation District, saying; today is a turning point in partnership modeling among different institutions, which in this regard, the goal of the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy of the President is to select its target community for technology development and on the other hand, the Ministry of Science must also produce beneficial science so that science serves the community and the University of Tehran as the symbol of the country’s higher education must be effective and we do our job correctly when people taste the sweet flavor of science.
Dr. Mohammad Moghimi, mentioning that we plan to expand this district from District 6 and extend it to Bahman Square, said; we ask the city officials to accompany us in this regard, like before, and in the meantime, Tehran University’s Innovation District tries to act in the development of the local area and the welfare of the people.
Technological transformation at the forefront of municipal affairs
Also, in this ceremony, the Mayor of Tehran, referring to the fact that Tehran is facing a system of problems and city management is facing numerous problems, said; the solution to these problems is science and scholars, and to be able to solve the problems, we need participation, and Tehran has the greatest scientific capacity, professors, and students in the country.
Alireza Zakani added; the transformation regarding city management, the physical transformation of the city, technological transformation, and citizens and urban life are four transformations that the municipality has on its agenda.
The Mayor of Tehran also said about the Science and Technology Park of Tehran; from the beginning, our effort was to consider Velayat Park as the Science and Technology Park of Tehran, and we hope to be able to create an ecosystem in these 200 hectares that everyone will benefit from.
It is worth mentioning that in another part of this event, a four-sided memorandum of understanding for the establishment of Tehran University’s Innovation District was signed with the presence of Mohammad Ali Zolfigol the Minister of Science, Rouhollah Dehghani Firouzabadi the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy of the Presidency, Alireza Zakani the Mayor of Tehran, and Mohammad Moghimi the president of the University of Tehran at the location of the Science and Technology Park of Tehran University.
Also, subsequently, a symbolic unveiling of the three-dimensional model of Tehran’s Innovation District was done.
