TEHRAN – Iran and Venezuela will begin technological cooperation in the field of agriculture, medicine, and medical equipment, Mehdi Ghalehnoei, an official with the vice presidency for science and technology, has announced.Venezuelan Minister of Science and Technology Gabriela Servilia Jimenez and Minister of Agriculture Wilmar Castro Soteldo visited an exhibition of Iranian knowledge-based companies’ achievements in the House of Technology and Innovation located at the Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds on Sunday.The products of four knowledge-based companies were attractive to the Venezuelan delegation, Ghalehnoei said, adding that it was planned to cooperate in the field of technologies related to agriculture, medicine, and medical equipment, as well as export in some areas.The vice presidency for science and technology is trying to facilitate the export of technological products to the Venezuelan market with the necessary follow-ups.Africa, neighboring countries, Southeast Asia and Eurasia are the main destinations for Iranian knowledge-based products. Exporting technological products of Iranian knowledge-based companies is one of the important and key programs of the vice presidency for science and technology, and in this regard, the Iranian houses of innovation have been set up in several countries to develop the global market for knowledge-based products.These centers have already been set up in countries such as Russia, Turkey, China, Syria, and Kenya, Armenia and Iraq will soon join them.Ghalehnoei said in February that last year, knowledge-based companies gained about $800 million in revenue from export, and the figure is expected to reach to $2 billion this year.Africa, neighboring countries, Southeast Asia and Eurasia are our export target priorities, and we hope to create Iranian innovation and technology in all these areas, he added.Knowledge-based companiesLeader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei designated the current Iranian year as “The Year of Production: Knowledge-Based and Job-Creating”.Strengthening knowledge-based companies is on the agenda, raising hope for reducing obstacles on the path to development.The Leader has called on all Iranians, including citizens and government officials, to work hard to boost knowledge-based production and create new jobs.Today, the country's knowledge-based ecosystem accounts for more than 3 percent of GDP.

And the figure is projected to reach 5 percent, however, the main goal is to step toward a 10 percent share in GDP, Vice President for Science and Technology, Sourena Sattari told Fars on February 13.The share of knowledge-based companies in the country's economy has exceeded 9 quadrillion rials (about $34 billion), and since 2019, it has experienced a growth of more than 450 percent, he stated.There are currently 6,263 knowledge-based companies operating in the country, offering advanced products and services in various fields of technology to domestic and foreign markets, and some of them have entered international markets, Siavash Maleki, deputy head of the Fund, stated.The fields of aircraft maintenance, steel, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, oil, and gas are among the sectors that researchers in technology companies have engaged in, leading to import reduction.FB/MG