During a visit in Iran last month, a delegation from Moscow-based technopark Kalibr signed a memorandum of understanding with two leading Iranian science and technology parks, the Fars and the Khuzestan technoparks.
The three-year agreement encompasses several types of cooperation, from synergies between resident companies, to technology transfers between Russian and Iranian industrial companies, to joint events and training programs.
The Khuzestan technopark and Kalibr cover similar fields, noted Dr. Babak Mokhtari, the president of the Khuzestan Science and Technology Park, citing information technologies, laser printers, medical, oil and gas equipment as the mains fields of cooperation between the two technoparks.
Kalibr Director Alexey Rodos also spoke at the Shahid Chamran university in Ahvaz, presenting the Russian technopark system, emphasizing the important role of state authorities in science park development and sharing practical experience.
Dr. Gholamhoseyn Khaje, Chancellor of the Chamran University, expresses readiness to cooperate with Kalibr.
Rodos also met representatives of Iranian business and academic communities. They discussed a variety of topics, from startup acceleration programs, to the infrastructure needs of resident companies, to technoparks for children.
“The Russian authorities are planning to invest in the construction of 500 technoparks for children,” Rodos said.
Finally, the Russian delegation visited the Fars Science and Technology Park, the Shiraz Especial Economic Zone, a business incubator of Ahvaz and an industrial complex in Anjireh.
Kalibr focuses on instrumentation, IT, additive technologies, unmanned transportation, media and telecom.
Russians come to Iran
A range of other Russian and Iranian technology players have begun to develop ties recently.
Thus a few months ago Islamic Azad University agreed with Skolkovo to open an R&D center next year in the Moscow tech hub. The partnership encompasses several technology fields, including energy, oil and gas and medicine.
Telecom magnate Yevgeny Roitman has been reported to have plans to introduce the Glonass technology in Iran, while ABBYY, a major Moscow-based software company, has suggested to digitize Iran’s National Library and the Islamic revolution archive.
Mail.ru Group, a leading, LSE-listed Russian Internet group, is “engaged in a marketing investigation and research” of the Iranian market, as East-West Digital News reported earlier this year. Young Iranians have shown great interest in ICQ, an international messenger service that belongs to the group.
Several Russian businessman – including billionaire Vladimir Potanin – are involved in Pomegranate, a Swedish company which actively invests in Iranian digital assets.
Meanwhile Yandex, another leading Russian Internet company, has declined government invites to enter the Iranian market.
