According to the Public Relations Department of the Young Scholars and Scientists Festival, the panel on the needs of idea generators, the responsibilities of the government and the private sector was held at the conclusion of the 7th Young Scholars and Scientists Festival with the presence of Dr. Peyman Salehi, Deputy Director of Research at the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, Eng. Farzin Fardis, member of the Board of Directors of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Iraj Tajeddin, CEO of the Knowledge-Based Ayrma Company, and Dr. Mehdi Eliasi, Deputy Director of Policy and Development at the Presidential Office for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy.
One of the duties of the government sector is to assist in commercialization and idea generation.
Announcing the inclusion of the Scholars Festival as one of the fixed programs of the country’s National Research and Technology Week, Dr. Peyman Salehi, Deputy Director of Research at the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, stated: One of our alphabets in the field of commercialization is the level of technological readiness.
Referring to the country’s scientific production statistics, he stated: Since 1966, the country has been ranked 54th with 51 articles per year. This year’s statistics show that we are ranked 15th in the world with about 87,000 articles, which is the result of the efforts of our researchers. The status of industry and community relations contracts has also been signed at about 11,200 contracts, which are used as practical contracts, and the total amount of these contracts is about 6 trillion Tomans.
Noting that one of the duties of the government sector is to assist in commercialization and idea generation, Salehi said: We have an extraordinary technology ecosystem in the country. The Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, in cooperation with the Deputy for Science and Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, has established 280 growth centers, 54 science and technology parks, and 50 innovation centers throughout Iran, and about 114,000 knowledge-based companies are operating in these centers; therefore, the purpose of creating such an ecosystem is to reduce the risk of investment, idea generation, and commercialization.
The Deputy Minister of Research of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, mentioning the need for financing for the better growth of ideas, said: People who have ideas for commercialization are always trained in incubators and parks, but the financing system is also very serious and necessary for the better growth of ideas. Over the past 10 years, more than 60 research and technology funds have been launched, 51% of which are under the supervision of the private sector. According to the statutes of these funds, they only provide financial support to knowledge-based companies and have an important acceleration system.
Access to cheap resources can destroy billions of motivation
Engineer Farzin Fardis, a member of the board of directors of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that the country’s increased reliance on technology supply in recent years: One of the places where we have a vacuum is that we have not been able to achieve a more complete ecosystem. An ecosystem in which technology supply occurs by universities, scientists, university professors and young people with ideas must be coordinated with large enterprises; These private or semi-private enterprises should turn the idea into a plan, and this plan should create value for the enterprises, increase international competitiveness, and increase export capacity.
Expressing concern about the major problem that overshadows the science and technology ecosystem, he said: As long as the opportunity cost of activity in science production is not benefiting from a series of monopolies and rents, there will never be any motivation for scientific and knowledge-based production. On the other hand, access to cheap resources can also destroy billions of motivation. As long as cheap resources are available, why should the private sector spend and upgrade technology to use fewer resources?
Engineer Fardis continued: As long as we do not fight for a competitive market and the distribution of rents and corruption, all the efforts made will be worthless. Mr. Jamili should be given gold, because instead of focusing on acquiring more resources, he spends his own resources and motivates the young.
Idea owners do not know the platform created by the government
Dr. Iraj Tajuddin, CEO of the knowledge-based company Irma, first addressed the complex process of turning an idea into a product and said: A platform must be provided for the idea to mature and commercialize. Fortunately, in recent years, infrastructure has been created and the Vice President for Science and Technology and the Innovation and Prosperity Fund have supported ideas, but these ideas must go through the TRL hierarchy to reach commercial viability for the owner of the idea.
Expressing the readiness of the private sector to invest in mature ideas, he said: The idea must follow a good path to commercialization, and if this path is not followed, no investor is willing to support that idea. There are those who do not understand the pull of the market and demand and in fact think that if this idea has won an award, then it has the potential to be commercialized.
Dr. Tajuddin, complaining about the government sector, said: Many idea owners still do not know the platform created by the government. These people must know and understand the contexts properly in order to follow the path of their own evolution; when this path is not followed, a lack of motivation arises in the owners of ideas. I hope that with better information from friends with ideas, students and elites, they will gain an understanding of the path.
Individual, organizational or national development and progress has a basic formula
Dr. Mehdi Eliasi, Deputy for Policy and Development of the Vice Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, addressed the topic of development and progress and stated: Individual, organizational or national development and progress has a basic formula. Development in the world is carried out by a series of individuals or a series of companies; if each country revolves around these two axes, the rest of the work will be done. In the past few years, if we have had success in any field, it has been because of the presence of these people.
He added: I would like to thank the Jamili Science and Technology Foundation for organizing a festival to highlight influential people in the development of the country. Whatever strengths and weaknesses we are in this economic position, it is because of such people. We must create a space for those who are concerned about the development of the field of technology to invest in the knowledge-based ecosystem. In the past three years, efforts have been made in the Knowledge-Based Production Leap Law to provide basic tools to further support the knowledge-based field.
Stating that the industrial and economic ecosystem has recently started operating, Dr. Eliasi said: According to the latest information we received from the Statistics Center and surveyed about 5,000 companies, 83 percent of our national resources are spent on the entire educational system, universities, and research institutes, while this number is 36 percent in other countries. It is noteworthy that more than half of our education system is run by the government sector, but in other countries, two-thirds of this number is allocated to the commercial sector, which means that the opposite is happening in Iran.
He added: “We must create an environment where anyone who is concerned about development and intends to invest in this field can act easily. The Knowledge-Based Production Leap Law has attempted to provide basic tools for the presence of these people.”
At the end of the panel, participants in the Seventh Festival of Young Thinkers and Scientists and other attendees in the hall asked questions and discussed with the panel members.