Hawzah News Agency – “The major step to strengthen a country against domestic and international turbulence, particularly unjust sanctions, is boosting the economy based on domestic knowledge and technology – knowledge-based economy. Knowledge and technology prevail in such an economy, which brings added value for the production”, said Malek Rahmati.
He pointed to the measures in the past few years to expand innovation and knowledge-based ecosystem, such as knowledge-based institutes, science and technology accelerators and parks, under the aegis of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei. “Nevertheless, one of the main challenges in this ecosystem is still commercializing the knowledge-based products through venture capital (VC)”.
Rahmati added that a great many of elites, technocrats, and knowledge-based start-ups had failed to commercialize their products, demoralized, or opted for immigration due to lack of valid and reliable VC.
Referring to the holy shrine’s intention to enter the field for supporting the innovators, he noted: “In line with the macro-policies announced by the custodian of the holy shrine, moving towards a resistance economy and backing scientific and knowledge-based institutes, Imam Reza holy shrine has embarked on establishing companies to back up innovation ecosystem”.
One of the biggest supporters of young elites and innovators in the country is Razavi Hi-Tech Industries. It operates under the Endowment Beneficiary Foundation of Imam Reza holy shrine and is a major actor in VC, especially in digital economy, healthcare technology, and advanced materials. “This company has invested around $4.4m in 13 knowledge-based firms in the first two years of its establishment, which is a great step toward burgeoning of the country’s knowledge-based and job-creating production”, said the deputy custodian.
Further in his remarks, Rahmati pointed to other programs of the Endowment Beneficiary Foundation in the field such as ‘Hasht’ festival with the slogan of ‘Effort, Flourishing, Transcendence’, which was meant to identify and employ elites in various specialties from across the country.
He also talked about Razavi Business Company’s attention to small home businesses via ‘Pisheh’ website, which plays a great role in cutting the intermediaries and boosting creative production in the country.
Rahmati concluded: “Given the Leader’s wise slogan for the year 1401 SH, Imam Reza holy shrine is standing four-square to support and implement the slogan and will definitely carry out its knowledge-based activities with full force, particularly in VC”.