Iran official says Tehran ready to provide hi-tech services to Kenya
Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology Sourena Sattari says Tehran is ready to provide Kenya with expertise in high-tech industries.
During a three-day visit to Kenya, Sattari met with several Kenyan officials to discuss ways to expand bilateral relations, IRNA reported on Friday.
During a meeting with Betty Mania, Kenya’s Secretary of the Kenyan Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development, Sattari said that currently, 6,000 knowledge-based companies are operating in Iran, generating a revenue of about $12 billion last year.
Large startups have been formed in Iran, which are exporting knowledge-based products to other countries, he said.
Sattari also emphasized that 40 knowledge-based companies are accompanying the Iranian delegation to Kenya, which can be a good opportunity for technology transfer, noting that representatives of these knowledge-based firms held talks with 130 Kenyan companies leading to bilateral cooperation.
Referring to Iran’s special place in emerging technologies, he said that Iran ranks fourth in the world in nanoscience, with an emphasis on joint projects and cooperation in technology and knowledge transfer between the two nations.
Mania said that Iran and Kenya can cooperate in the development of agricultural products. For example, the north of Iran has good conditions for the expansion of agricultural activities.
“Kenya has good conditions in the field of tea production and we are ready to provide all necessary arrangements for the export of tea to Iran,” she stated, pointing to the diversity of fruits in Kenya as one of the areas of bilateral cooperation.
During the trip, Sattari inaugurated the Iran House of Innovation and Technology (IHIT) in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Wednesday, as the first center in Africa.
The IHIT, by supporting innovative ideas, holding technological and innovative events will be a platform for the development and promotion of Iranian knowledge-based companies, startups, and creative industries.
Technological achievements of 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 6,000 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.
002
