The livestock and poultry industry is one of the sectors that with the help of new technologies and knowledge-based firms can experience a growing trend and have a thriving domestic market.

Accordingly, the Biotechnology Development Council has defined six national plans to promote the industry using the power of the country’s technologists, ISNA reported on Tuesday.

The projects include production of sperm, embryos, and purebred of endangered calves, production of microchips for identification, and registration of livestock according to standards, reproduction of sheep suitable for the environmental conditions of Iran, and breeding program of native Iranian sheep, and etc.

Knowledge-based companies

Despite sanctions putting pressure on the country, a unique opportunity was provided for business development and the activity of knowledge-based companies in the country.

Currently, over 7,000 knowledge-based companies are active in the country, manufacturing diverse products to meet the needs of the domestic market while saving large amounts of foreign currency.

The fields of aircraft maintenance, steel, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment, oil, and gas are among the sectors that researchers in technology companies have engaged in, leading to import reduction.

In recent years, the vice presidency for science and technology has been supporting knowledge-based companies active in the production of sanctioned items.

Revenue from sales of technological products of companies located in science and technology parks in 2020 was close to 137 billion rials (nearly $3.2 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials), which compared to 4.6 billion rials (about $152,000) in 2013, shows the growth of 2878 percent.

This issue was quite evident in the export sector of these companies so that the export of knowledge-based products was equal to $1.14 million, but this amount increased to $63.2 million in 2018, while reached $98 million in 2020, despite the very harsh sanctions imposed on the country.

Vice President for Science and Technology Sourena Sattari told the Tehran Times in October 2020 that “U.S. sanctions caused exports of knowledge-based companies to decline three years ago, however, it has returned to growth and is projected to reach the pre-sanctions level of more than $1 billion by the end of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 20).

Fortunately, last year, companies achieved a record sale of 1.2 quadrillion rials (nearly $28.5 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials), which is expected to increase by 40 percent this year.”

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In the 68th edition of weekly national projects inauguration program, President Rouhani ordered the launch of several petrochemical projects in Khuzestan and Bushehr provinces, creating 2,454 jobs.

The projects are Sabalan Petrochemical Plant, Masjed Soleiman Petrochemical Plant and Elixir Helal of Assaluyeh.

Sabalan Petrochemical Plant has been launched with an annual production capacity of 1,650,000 tons of methanol worth $412 million.

A supplier of AA grade methanol, the plant came online as another project in the second petrochemical leap of the country.

Sabalan Petrochemical Plant has been built with a total investment of $406 million in Phase 2 of Pars Energy Special Economic Zone. The project was financed by shareholders, Chinese credit line financing and short-term facilities.

Sepehr Energy Company with 99.96% stocks is the main shareholder of the project. Dena Petrochemical Company, Siraf Energy Investment Company, SECO International Trade Company and Ghotb Sepehr Lavan Petrochemical Company are other shareholders of this plant.

The feedstock required for Sabalan Petrochemical Plant is one million tons of natural gas per year, which is supplied by Damavand Petrochemical Company, and the annual sales value of the complex’s products is estimated at $412 million.

By building the project, 4,200 jobs were created during its construction and 834 jobs during its operation.

The second project that was launched via videoconference on Thursday was Masjed Soleiman Petrochemical Plant.

It is built with an annual production capacity of 1,755,000 tons of urea and ammonia.

The Masjed Soleiman urea and ammonia project is another of the projects of the second leap of the petrochemical industry whose construction began in March 2015 with the aim of producing 680,000 tons of ammonia and 1.075 million tons of urea annually.

It is fed with 861 million cubic meters of natural gas per year and is built on a 50-hectare land in Haft Shahidan Region of ​​Masjed Soleiman, the southwestern Khuzestan province.

The plant is estimated to generate $268 million a year by selling its products.

The investment company of the National Pension Fund Company possesses 66.55% of the plant’s stocks and the private sector holds 33.45% of its shares.

The $850 million capital for building this complex was provided from the shareholders and the credit line of China.

Masjed Soleiman Petrochemical has created employment for 5,000 people during construction and 1,500 during operation.

The ammonia unit of this complex has been licensed by Switzerland’s Casale and the urea and granulation units have been licensed by Japan’s Toyo.

Elixir Halal Assaluyeh Company, as the first pentane and hexane production unit in Iran’s petrochemical industry, with a total annual production capacity of 50,000 tons, was officially put into operation by order of the President.

Construction of the project started in Assaluyeh in back in 2018 with the aim of producing 40,000 tons of hexane and 10,000 tons of pentane annually.

The sales value of the company’s products is estimated at $40 million annually.

The $48 million investment in the project was provided by Takht Jamshid Petrochemical Company as the main shareholder of the plant.

Elixir Halal Assaluyeh project created employment for 600 people during its construction and 120 people during operation.

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