A High-Level Delegation headed by the Director General of Innovation in Ethiopia's Ministry of Innovation and Technology Visited ICT Park

At the start of the meeting, after presenting an introductory video clip about ICT Park, Dr. Abbas Ghanbari Baghestan, the Consulter for ICT Park Communication and International Affairs, explained the nature and facilities of the Information and Communication Technology Park: "ICT Park operates under the supervision of Iran's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology with three active branches, in Alborz, Mashhad and Semnan," he added. 
"Regarding international activities, we have started our international relations with several African countries, and have been communicating with numerous other countries, including Mali, Tunisia, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana and others," he continued.
Dr. Ghanbari baghestan further explained the potentials of the Digital Economy Development Network (DEDN) after showing an introductory video clip about this network: "Initiated by ICT Park, DEDN provides various number of grants in order to facilitate the activities of the associated companies," he said. 
The Consulter for ICT Park Communication and International Affairs also introduced other propulsive projects of ICT Park to be producing and exporting cultural and artistic data, providing basic services, exporting these services to regional countries, employing IOT in food safety issues, water consumption management, smart city management, providing infrastructure for open source systems, modern learning and its application, localizing the hardware technology required by the national network of information, and also developing smart logistics. 
He also explained about the companies associated with ICT Park: "The companies associated with ICT Park are large companies with national markets. In ICT Park, we assist these companies with further development to become ready to act productively in the regional and international arenas. Most of the companies associated with ICT park, including Arg Telecom, ESM Telecommunication Company, Nour Behineh Gostar Middle East and companies are ready to enter the global markets," he added. 
"Currently, the technology companies associated with ICT Park have more than 196 products, of which 74 products are selected for commercialization at the regional and international level in accordance with technical and general indicators, including the depth of technology, proper quality, suitable price, etc." Ghanbari baghestan continued. 
In continuation of this meeting, ICT Park presented a list of selected products by its technology companies, including different types of modems applicable for mobile phone companies, smart educational whiteboards, traffic gates, and other items that received great appreciation from the guests. 
Dr. Ghanbari baghestan, while pointing out the potential axes of cooperation with Ethiopia, presented a report on the activities carried out in the African region, including signing a cooperation agreement with Tunisia's Elgazala Technopark and the meetings and visits held with a number of officials from North and Central African countries, announcing the impending conclusion of a memorandum of cooperation with Algeria in the future. 
In the end, the Consulter for ICT Park Communication and International Affairs asked the Ethiopian delegation to present their suggestions and opinions regarding the development of mutual cooperation between Iran and Ethiopia. 
In continuation of this meeting, Eng. Jafari, the Director of ICT Park’s Techno-units’ Development Center, explaining the challenges in international communication, mentioned the issue of sanctions, especially sanctions imposed on banks and consequent money transfer problems, as the most significant challenges. 
"We, at ICT Park’s Techno-units’ Development Center, help the associated companies to gain progress by supporting their development and research departments, and by deepening the level of their technology. We tend to encourage high-level technology companies to produce high-level products," he explained.
In another part of the meeting, Abiot Sinamo, the Director General of Innovation in Ethiopia's Ministry of Innovation and Technology, praised the activities of ICT Park and expressed his tendency for starting mutual cooperation. 
The most significant topics discussed by the Ethiopian side with the officials of ICT Park included the design and mechanism of technology ecosystem activity in Iran, the processes of Park management, including mechanisms of registering different companies into the Park, technical and scientific evaluation of technology products by the companies, the process of defining and granting financial and non-financial facilities to technology companies, aspects of international cooperation, including the development joint products and other related issues.
It should be mentioned that after the meeting, the Ethiopian delegation visited different sections of the Park, including Signal-Afza Industrial Group (VAF), ESM Telecommunications, Amn Pardaz, Noor Behine Gonstar Company and the ICT Park's Smart Greenhouse, with the aim of getting familiar with the Park as much as possible. 
During this visit, Mr. Abiot Sinamo, the Director General of Innovation in Ethiopia's Ministry of Innovation and Technology; Mr. Surafel Shimles, the Director of Ethiopia's Information and Communication Technology Park, and Mr. Salamihan Adfares, the CEO of National Electronic Government in Ethiopia's Ministry of Innovation and Technology were also present.
Additionally, on behalf of ICT Park, besides Dr. Abbas Ghanbari baghestan, the Consulter for ICT Park Communication and International Affairs, and Eng. Jafari, the Director of ICT Park’s Techno-units’ Development Center, Dr. Hafizi, the Deputy of ICT Park’s Human Recourses Development and Recourse Management; Eng. Yazdanpanah, the Deputy of ICT Park’s Technology Development, and Mohammad Qaemi, the Director of ICT Park's Planning Affairs were also present in this meeting.