Official: Iran’s knowledge-based exports hit $650mn mark in first six months of year

Iran has managed to export 650 million dollars of knowledge-based products in the first six months of the current year, beating relentless US-led Western sanctions, said the head of the country’s Center for International Science and Technology Cooperation (CISTC).

The exports to 85 countries across the world are a sizeable boost compared to the $870mn exports in the previous year, Amir Hossein Amirabadi, the CISTC director told a press conference.

Amirabadi said scientific communication and human capital are the top assets for knowledge-based activities, adding Iranian experts residing in other countries are on the scientific center’s radar for cooperation in future projects. 

The CISTC director stated that knowledge-based economy has been given a higher priority since he was assigned to the post, with the goal of expanding international markets. 

“The next area is to boost exchanges in technology and international communication in the governmental cooperation layer. Communication between governments, using the country’s membership capacity in international institutions, multilateral agreements and joint commissions are among the important issues in this field,” he noted.

Iran has considerably expanded the capacity for knowledge-based activities in the country, Amirabadi said, adding the center received 400 applications for establishment of firms last year.