TEHRAN – The webinar of scientific interactions between Iran and Italy will be held on December 17.

The event aims to emphasize the exchange of science and technology between universities, science and technology parks, and research institutes of the two countries.

Organized jointly by the Iran-Italy Scientific Cooperation Working Group affiliated to the Ministry of Science, the webinar is held with the cooperation of Italian Company for Innovation, Cooperation, and Internationalization (SPICI s.r.l), and Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, one of Italy's most important public universities.

Promoting science and technology cooperation between universities, research institutes, and science and technology parks of Iran and Italy, introducing Iran’s Research and Technology Week, presenting new achievements of Iranian research and technology, scientific diplomacy to expand research cooperation, technology and innovation between the two countries and study of science and technology ecosystem focusing on the potentials of cooperation between the two countries are among the topics to be discussed at the event.

In addition to the conference, a virtual tour will be presented with the aim of briefly introducing the 21st exhibition of research, technology, and market achievements of Iran.

Members of the working group of scientific cooperation between Iran and Italy and representatives of Italian and Iranian universities, research institutes, and knowledge-based companies will attend the event.

The aim is to make science and technology policy, and in this regard, the event facilitates the cooperation of technology producers and investors so that the parties can enter into negotiations directly based on their expected interests and protocols.

The event is supported by Iran's Ambassador to Italy Hamid Bayat, and Rome's Ambassador to Tehran Giuseppe Perrone.

Technology development in Iran

Despite sanctions putting pressure on the country, a unique opportunity was provided for business development and the activity of knowledge-based companies in the country.

Currently, some 5,000 knowledge-based companies are active in the country, manufacturing diverse products to meet the needs of the domestic market while saving large amounts of foreign currency.

The fields of aircraft maintenance, steel, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment, oil and gas are among the sectors that researchers in technology companies have engaged in, leading to import reduction.

In recent years, the vice presidency for science and technology has been supporting knowledge-based companies active in the production of sanctioned items.

Sourena Sattari, the vice president for science and technology, told the Tehran Times that “U.S. sanctions caused exports of knowledge-based companies to decline three years ago, however, it has returned to growth and is projected to reach the pre-sanctions level of more than $1 billion by the end of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 20, 2021).

Fortunately, last year, companies achieved a record sale of 1.2 quadrillion rials (nearly $28.5 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials), which is expected to increase by 40 percent this year.”

To date, 42 knowledge-based companies with a total value of 2.8 quadrillion rials (nearly $66.6 billion) have been listed on the stock exchange and they will soon turn into the biggest businesses in the county, Sattari said.

FB/MG