He made the comments in a meeting in which most knowledge-based companies in the health sector gathered to pave the way for exchange of ideas and policymaking while discussing their needs and concerns.
Sattari said the knowledge-based companies are the strong arm of the economy that contribute to the sustainable development of the country, stressing that “these companies are the driving force behind the economy and can create a significant part of the jobs for university graduates.”
According to him, pioneering knowledge-based companies, with their high capability, can build hundreds of startups on the path to knowledge production. These companies are important as they boost marketing and sales in domestic and foreign markets.
He also stressed that the government needs to have a special support program for these companies and boost the production of these companies by relying on the export market. “The Health and Innovation Fund is cooperating with the vice presidency in this regard and I hope it will produce good results,” said Iranian VP.
“Because of Iran’s oil-based economy, the country’s general culture is import-based, and oil revenues have promoted and supported imports without efforts to localise the production. This culture needs to be reformed. Hopefully, with the transformation that knowledge-based businesses are introducing, all sectors of the country are distancing from imports.”
Despite all the burdensome rules and the laws, which are not mainly for supporting domestic producers, major developments in the field of health have been established with the help of knowledge-based companies, underlined Sattari.
For a brief review of Iran’s achievements in various fields of science and technology, check the book “Science and Technology in Iran: A Brief Review – 2019”
In another part of the meeting, Saeed Nemaki, Minister of Health and Medical Education said today, there is nothing in heath sector that knowledge-based companies cannot solve.
“The ground has been prepared for knowledge-based businesses with the supports of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology to open a new horizon to the country’s health system. Before the revolution, we had multinational companies that ran the country’s pharmaceutical industry, but today, with the help of Iranian knowledge-based companies, the country’s health care system provides 97% of the country’s pharmaceutical needs,” reiterated Namaki.
Iranian health minister also touched upon the priority of using domestic production in the health system of the country saying that the production of medicines and health items, and new approaches to service delivery require new approaches such as electronic health system that improves our interaction.
