Azari Jahromi: the Opening of the Information and Communications Technology Park is Effective in the Development of the Digital Economy in Semnan Province

The Inauguration of Information and Communications Park is Beneficial for the Development of Semnan’s Digital Economy
Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, considered his Ministry as the responsible agent for running the ICT Park in Semnan and said: “The implementation of this plan would not be possible without the cooperation of the subset apparatuses. In 2017 – 2018 a total of 234 billion Tomans was invested in Semnan, assigned to upgrading the internet bandwidth in the entire route of Haram (the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Ma'soomeh ) to Haram ( the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza ), upgrading the Internet condition in rural areas and improving fiber-optic communications, railway track communications, industrial towns, and employment development.
Azari Jahromi further emphasized: “in Semnan province, there was a satisfactory cooperation between all divisions for the execution of these plans, contrary to some provinces that only criticize supervisor divisions and see the deficiencies.”
The Minister of Communications and Information Technology regarded Semnan’s ICT Park as a link from the chain of Digital Economy Parks in the country. He stated: “in digital economy, there should be a significant growth in the country’s GDP. In the implementation process of these plans, a path for the youth was drawn, so that the government cooperated with them in the development of the market. The important infrastructure of this area was the development of the country’s communications.”
“At the beginning of the operation of the Government of Providence and Hope, in 2017, 50% of the cities in the country had access to the third generation internet”, he noted. “More than 30% of the country’s population live in villages and previously had no access to broadband internet. But today 98.5% of the country’s rural community have access to the internet and broadband, meaning that there’s a market for online businesses.”
Azari Jahromi considered developing the market for online businesses as ICT Ministry’s first step and remarked: “in addition to this, the addition of broadband internet, which expands the access to the National Information Network, and increasing the bandwidth of the National Information Network, are also the Government’s responsibilities.”
The Minister of Communications and Information Technology confirmed that “the bandwidth capacity of the National Information Network was increased from 648 GB in 2013 to more than 21 thousand GB in 2020. These measures prepared the ground for the progress and development of the youth’s business. In other words, Digital Economy’s share from the GDP rose from 1.7% in 2013 to 6.4% in 2020 and this number is expected to reach 7.2 in 2021-2022. This evolution was made possible by the youth in the country.”
He regarded “Empowerment” as another responsibility of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and said: “In the Government of Providence and Hope, “empowerment” was carried out by two methods:  “Innovative Plan” and “Digital Economy Parks”. In the Innovative Plan, 10,000 companies signed up for the Cyberspace Businesses Complex and efficacious support was provided for these companies’ businesses using the resources of the ICT Ministry, the Government’s resources in the Investment Funds, and the resources in possession of the private sector .”
Azari Jahromi further added: “Digital Economy Parks were also set up in the 12th government to take companies with five hundred million Tomans revenue a year and, through their supports, deliver companies with five billion Rials revenue in each year.”
In the end, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology affirmed the inauguration of Semnan’s Information and Communications Technology Park as a potent force in the development of Digital Economy in the province. He asserted: “The graduates of the universities in the province can receive both training in this complex as well as special exemption. Also, by being next to each other, they can contribute to an increase in their own and others’ income. The focus of this Park in Semnan is on agricultural and space domains.”
Dr. Mohammad Jafar Sadigh: the Opening of the ICT Park in Semnan Results in the Formation of a Chain of Business Generation
Later on in the ceremony, Dr. Mohammad Jafar Sadigh Damghanizadeh, the Minister’s advisor and the President of the Information and Communications Technology Park (ICT), expressed his gratitude towards the efforts made by the Semnan province in speeding up the opening process of the Park and said: “no other province had the tenacity and diligence of Semnan’s Governor and Deputy of “Resources and Management Development of the Provincial Government”, which is laudable and commendable.”
The Minister’s Advisor and the President of ICT Park continued: “enhancement of an establishment and construction is not an easy task by itself. Indeed, there were numerous financial limitations in setting up this center, which were overcome by transferring the central credit from “current” to “civil” and thereby preventing the cessation of the establishment of Semnan Park. As a result, today we witness the Park’s inauguration.”
Sadigh Damghanizadeh called the Information and Communications Technology Park the memorial of the group’s efforts in Semnan province and ICT Park’s central branch in the current government. He remarked: “two accelerators in the domains of content production and cloud services are located in the ICT Park’s branch in Mashhad, which have been transferred to the Semnan branch.”
He specified: “we will begin our activities with the above-mentioned accelerators and Semnan Technical and Vocational Training Organization, and by providing skill training directed towards business production in this center. The necessary investments will also be made in these courses. In other words, part of the learners’ tuitions and financial support shall be provided during their internship or the pre-acceleration period, and finally their conversion into company.”
The Minister’s Advisor and the President of ICT Park considered the opening of the Information and Communications Technology Park as effective in the formation of a chain of business generation and said: “after the formation of the chain of business generation in this Park, it will begin to spread over the whole province.”
At last, Sadigh Damghanizadeh emphasized: “if Semnan province does not assist this Park in the creation and development of the market, the whole project will face failure. That is to say, the lack of success in the creation of the appropriate markets would result in immigration of the trained forces to other provinces.”
Deputy of Resources and Management Development of the Provincial Government: the opening of this Park in Semnan is a manifestation of the valuable coordination and interaction between different complexes
Later, Fatemeh Mansoori, Deputy of Resources and Management Development stated: “Today, I am honored to see the opening of a complex which will be the pioneer in the development of Semnan. The Digital Economy Park is a valuable center shaped from the ground of Information and Communications Technology and seasoned with Human Resource Empowerment. This Park prepares these talents and assets for the business market.”
Mansoori, pointing to the reinforcement of this center’s potentials, said: “we are hopeful that through bilateral cooperation and interaction with the skill training sections, knowledge, Information Technology, and Industry and University, the Digital Economy Park of Semnan will become the country’s technology production hub in the ICT domain.
At the end of the Park’s opening ceremony, the Deputy of Resources and Management Development of Semnan’s Provincial Government considered the opening of this Park as the manifestation of the valuable coordination and interaction between the different complexes. He pointed out: “multiple coordination was made with the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, the Ministry Complex, Governor of Semnan, people’s representative of Semnan’s counties, Mahdi Shahr, and Sorkhe, in Parliament and also between the province’s executive divisions.  Hence, the Park’s opening can be recognized as an indication of these valuable interactions and coordination between various divisions.”
Semnan’s People Representative in the Parliament: Development of Knowledge-based Economy in the Country is Indebted to the Supreme Leader’s Attentiveness
Later on in the ceremony, Mr. Abbas Golru, the people’s representative of Semnan, Sorkheh, and Mahdi Shahr in the Parliament referred to the two issues in Knowledge-Based discussion and said: “the prosperity of the country’s Knowledge-based Economy is indebted to the Supreme Leader’s attention to this matter. Also, the country’s chief managers such as Mr. Soorena Satari, Science and Technology Deputy of the President, and Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, have created  a true transformation in the country’s knowledge-based area.”
Emphasizing the reinforcement of knowledge-based companies, based on the Supreme Leader’s recommendation, Golru reminded:  “because of the Supreme Leader’s recommendation, the expansion of the infrastructures of Information Technology and knowledge-based companies and technological and information were set as objectives of the Government and the Parliament.”  
He further emphasized: “the world moves toward knowledge and development. At present, development and talent without knowledge would yield no results in the country. Thus, the development of knowledge-based and Information Technology activities should be adequately considered.”
In the end, the people representative of Semnan, Sorkheh, and Mahdi Shahr in the Parliament considered the inauguration of Semnan’s ICT Park as a helping hand for the development of knowledge-based and Information Technology activities. He said: “The Province needs development in the area of Information Technology. We are hopeful that through proper goal setting and planning, Semnan becomes the center of Information Technology and Knowledge-based activities.”
Semnan’s Governor: the Information and Communications Technology Park is a Youth Protection Center in the Employment Domain
Subsequently, Mr. Alireza Ashnagar, the Governor of Semnan, recognized Semnan’s ICT Park as a valuable opportunity for young people to create new businesses and said: “Today, Semnan holds a good position in the area of ICT. In other words, the activity of more than 60% of Startups, Techno-units, and Knowledge-based companies in the Province was shaped during the Presidency of Azari Jahromi in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, and with everyone’s cooperation and engagement.”
Ashnagar reiterated: “in the last day of the Providence and Hope Government, I recognize this as my duty to thank the Minister of ICT, for setting foot in a very challenging route and initiating a valuable movement in the country.”
The Governor of Semnan considered the inauguration of Semnan’s ICT Park as the center for keeping the youth safe in the domain of employment and stated: “serious protection of the youth and workforces during Azari Jahromi’s incumbency, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, was provided with a new definition and approach for business to establish and develop the ICT Parks.”
He proceeded: “currently, a major part of the new businesses is founded on such ground. The inauguration of ICT Park in Semnan creates a valuable opportunity for the youth in this province.”
“Unfortunately, in the past, the country’s educational system focused only on data transfer. But, at present, both in the business domain and educational system, apart from data transfer, guidance and precise observation are based and conducted with IT knowledge.”  
In the end, Mr. Ashnagar expressed his gratitude to the Minister of ICT for keeping his promise and establishing the ICT Park in Semnan.
It must be mentioned that the main branch of ICT Park is located in Alborz Province and the second Branch in Khorasan Razavi Province, Mashhad.
In addition to the inauguration of the Semnan branch as ICT Park’s third branch, the establishment of the fourth branch is also on the agenda. This branch is expected to be operational in the near future.