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By
Mahdi Safarinia
Ali Morteza Birang
Revised By: Ramin Farjad Rad
Technology
parks were established in the 1960s as a social institution and
a branch of economic development based on technology. Today, there
are more than 800 technology parks in more than 55 countries around
the world, and more are under construction, depicting the importance
of such social institutions. These parks are also a type of business
parks where the major activities of the involved organizations deal
with research and development targeted at industrial applications,
thus usually these parks are not engaged with mass production or
basic research.
Special laws have been adopted in order to promote smaller companies
next to the large and established companies, and special services
are offered which facilitate the activities of the organizations
working in such parks. It is also expected that these parks would
help establish new companies based on the developed technologies
whether within the development section of a larger company or through
other investment means.
Other objectives of these technology parks include promoting modern
technologies and economic developments, as well as attracting specialists,
scientists, and companies dealing with advanced technologies at
international levels. Thus, many of these techno-parks can work
as part of a coordinated strategy for national and regional development.
In addition, governments have put effort to provide a suitable condition
for the activities of small and medium sized companies to speed
up the process of technology exchange, employment of educated work
force, and commercializing research results. As a result, these
parks have turned into one of the most active technologic centers
in the world with a remarkable growth both in numbers and volume.
China and Taiwan have taken the leap into the industrial countries
over the past decades by paying great attention and investments
on technology parks. Since 1992, China has established 52 technology
parks that house close to 10,000 hi-tech companies and 73 incubators
employing over 500,000 professionals, producing a fast growing revenue
of $7 billion over the past year with just $600 million annual R&D
spending. Just one of these newly established parks in China that
solely targets the professionals abroad has succeeded to attract
108 high-tech experts back to the country, and that has lead to
the founding of 90 high-tech Startups.
The International Association of Science Parks (IASP) has defined
the technology parks as:
A Science Park is an organization managed by specialized professionals,
whose main aim is to increase the wealth of its community by promoting
the culture of innovation and the competitiveness of its associated
businesses and knowledge-based institutions. To enable these goals
to be met, a Science Park stimulates and manages the flow of knowledge
and technology amongst universities, R&D institutions, companies
and markets; it facilitates the creation and growth of innovation-based
companies through incubation and spin-off processes; and provides
other value-added services together with high quality space and
facilities. (IASP International Board, 6 February 2002). The
IASP definition of "Science Park" encompasses other terms
and expressions such as "Technology Park", "Technopolis",
"Technopole", "Technology Precinct", "Research
Park" etc.
Establishment of Pardis Technology Park:
The prosperity of nations in the next decades depends on the extent
and the manner of their growth. Some existing nations have been
able to continuously raise their living standards by continuous
progress in the fields of science, technology and culture and by
increasing the capacity of their social structures.
These are nations who have proved their ability to grow in changing
international environment, and by this means, they have reached
a high degree of social welfare, competitiveness in international
markets, and global influence. If we could find the common factors
contributing to the growth of these intellectual nations, certainly
the most important ones are as follows:
1.
National will for effective cooperation in world leadership.
2. Influence of advanced industries on economic system of society
and their efficiency as "growth engines".
3. "By research" education system, based on "life-long
learning".
4. Social traditions and cultural values that encourage competition
and cooperation simultaneously.
5. High capacity infrastructures for creation, acquisition, development,
and diffusion of advanced technologies and accelerated adoption
of them in industrial innovations.
Studies
show that many high impact innovations have more occurred in small
and medium enterprises than in large ones. The former is known as
the most effective mechanism for fostering employment opportunities
in developing economies.
Experience of industrialized and newly industrialized countries
have clearly shown that the aggregation of small companies or R&D
divisions of larger companies on sites known as Technology Park's,
not only facilitate their general support, but also helps the creation
of a new entity with capability far more than the simple sum of
individual capabilities. This additional capability is due to the
synergism created through effective exchange of information, cooperation,
and sharing common facilities.
The establishment of Pardis Technology Park, as an "advanced
technology development center", is based on the strategic vision
that it will result in brilliant impacts in industrialization process
of Iran through effective cooperation in research and development.
The idea of establishing this park was first introduced in the year
2000. Among the unique advantages of this park, the strong scientific,
economic and technologic potentials existing in Tehran, failure
to establish any other technology park in Iran up to this date,
and offering a successful model for technology parks in Iran besides
the fairly new experience that Iran has faced in exchanging technology
with other countries.
Based on these advantages, in 2001 Pardis Technology Park come under
operation under the efforts of the Technology Cooperation Office
of Presidency and Sharif University of Technology.
Pardis Technology Park will be an intellectual family whose members
will be known, in the first place, by their family culture. This
culture, which represents the members’ "collective identity",
will be shaped upon their most fundamental common values that they
all will be committed to. Firms established in this park, knowing
their unique role in accelerating radical innovations accept the
following principles of common visions and values as an agreement,
and by signing it they promise to consider it in their individual
and cooperative efforts.
Principles:
1.
Farsightedness
2. Excellence
3. Innovation
4. Entrepreneurship
5. Penetrating World Markets
6. Cooperation and Convergence
7. Creating an Inviting Place
8. Technology Development
9. Environmental Friendliness
10. Globalization
Pardis
park mission is to create a suitable environment for technology
professionals, researchers, academics, and companies with similar
requirements and goals to develop high-tech industries to be able
to compete in international levels, while increasing employment
in the country. The overall objectives for the technology park can
be itemized as:
1.
Facilitate and expedite nation-wide and regional high-tech industry
development.
2. Promote cooperation between industry, academia, and research
centers
3. Promote multi-disciplinary research
4. Create synergy between private and state sectors.
5. Commercialize know-how and innovations generated by research
centers.
6. Promote research and development in private sector and help
growth of Startups
7. Attract foreign investments and reduce brain drain.
Major
services by the Park to achieve the the above mentioned objectives
for the members of this center includes:
- Legal services and patent registration.
- Identification and evaluation of new technologies
- Marketing, business and management services
- Laboratories and workshops with a set of advanced necessary
equipment
- Strategic planning for companies and transfer of technology
- Banking, insurance and financial services
- Conference halls with advanced facilities for seminars, fairs,
etc.
- Broadband Internet services with adequate speed and quality
- Accommodation services including: guest houses, restaurants,
sports facilities, health clinic, coffee shops, and transportation.
- Library, data bank, and other information services.
- Training services
Location
of the Park
From 1999 survey began on the location of the park and finally in
the year 2000 an area was chosen in the Pardis region. The main
criteria is: The existence of an adequate scientific and technical
structure, proper economic and industrial infrastructures, proper
urban infrastructure, such as transportation networks (airport,
railways, high ways …) telecommunication networks, electricity,
water supplies, sewage systems…, proper resources for maintaining
expert work force and supporters, near distance to the regional,
national and international markets, suitable climatic conditions
(weather ,environment…) and suitable land prices with proper
conditions.
After a long observation on various locations in Tehran and its
suburbs such as the new town of Parand, the new town of Hashtgerd,
and the new town of Pardis, a location in the town of Pardis was
finally selected for the construction of the park. This area was
chosen mainly for its proximity to the urban services of the town,
to one of the country’s major satellite site as center for
communication, to a university currently under construction, to
Khorram-Dasht industrial area and the industrial town of Firouz-Kooh.
On the other hand, there is a highway under construction in this
area, which provides better transportation to the capital city of
Tehran.
The new Pardis town is located 20 km. north east of Tehran on the
hilltops overlooking the town of Bumehen, and temperature difference
to Tehran is around 4-5 degrees centigrade. Since the beginning
of the town’s development, around 3500 housing units have
been constructed where by nearly 15000 inhabitants are living there.
By the year 2020, it is expected to hold 200,000 inhabitants in
an area of 2000 hectares of land. Within the next four years when
the highway construction is expected to finish, bus lines will be
added to the present minibuses of Tehran-Pardis line. Also the water
project which is to carry water from the Latian dam and the gas
extension have already began their works which is expected to be
completed within the next three years. The management of the Pardis
town have agreed to provide the infrastructure facilities of the
park including, water, electricity, telecommunication, sewage systems
and access routes many of which have already reached to park.
Structure of the Park
The park is around 20 hectares. At present its designing process
has been completed and the project related to improving the urban
standards of this area is under completion. The preparation operation
began its work with the presence of the Housing Minister at the
beginning of the year 2002. Included in the physical parts of the
park are:
The companies Area
This area covering around 14 hectares includes the research and
development offices and has been divided into three sections:
-
Electronics and information Technology
- Mechanics and Automation
- Biotechnology and Chemistry
All
companies interested to take part in this area could locate themselves
in any of the three mentioned areas after being agreed by the management
of the park and purchasing their lands.
Ownership of the land is conditional, the main conditions are:
-
Avoid changing the use of the land for any other purpose,
- Complete the construction operation in maximum two years,
- Working based on the rules and regulations specified in the
contract.
The
administrative building and the international techno-market
This section is comprised of the administrative and management sections
and also the techno-market and includes the following service centers:
Internet and information dissemination, conference hall, exhibition
hall, training class rooms and meeting rooms, working agencies,
and counseling centers. The area allocated for this section is 5500
sq. m.
Public and urban services buildings
This building is comprised of public and urban services including
guest houses, restaurants, shopping centers, travel agencies, office
machines and services, sports facilities, health centers, shops
and centers for public services, mosques and nurseries. Total area
for this section is 4000 sq. m.
Incubator and multi-tenant buildings
These buildings are intended for those companies that are unable
to own their buildings. The area for these buildings is estimated
at around 8000 sq. m.
Research centers and joint laboratories
In this section the laboratories, prototyping shops and instruments
that are much needed by the companies will be built. The number
of these laboratories and workshops are under planning and the area
is estimated at around one hectare.
Independent tenant buildings
Considering the importance of communication with high-tech international
companies for technological development and helping the Iranian
companies to join the global markets, an area is dedicated for construction
of buildings for the branches of foreign companies as independent
entities.
Public areas
These grounds consist of roads, pathways, and green areas and would
cover an area of around 4 hectares.|
Pardis Technology ParkT Construction Timetable
The preliminary stage of the project was started in the year 2000
and it is planned that the construction operation in a 20-acre area
would end by the end of 2004. The headquarters division of the park
is maintained through the financial support of the government. Between
the stated timing, the following plans are of significance to name
the few:
1.
Planning of the park: beginning Winter 2001, ending Winter 2002
2. Civil Planning: beginning fall of 2002, ending early 2003
3. The headquarter: beginning winter 2002, ending fall of 2004
4. Research Centers for the companies: beginning winter 2002,
ending 2004
Great attention has been given to the entire project from the architectural
and urban settings aspects of the park as a scientific and technological
center. General park construction plans are now completed, and architectural
and design studies are currently taking place by a group of experts,
with a comparative look at other technical parks around the world.
The infrastructure installations, including electricity networks,
water and sewage, telecommunications networks, intranet, emergency
electricity, have already been designed. The public area constructions
have started since March 2002 and is planned to finish by May of
2003 and the first two construction phases of the park central buildings,
covering an area of nearly 20,000 sq.m., are currently under way.
At the end
Technology cooperation is future strategy of Pardis Technology Park
as a multidisciplinary research-business center. Science and technology
development is bind to "cooperation". For promoting our
capabilities, we are inclined to have close relation with all technology
centers and firms around the world. In this regard, our compatriots
living abroad have special and high place.
About the Authors:
Mahdi Safarinia - B.S. in Metallurgy Engineering, Sharif University
of Technology President of Pardis Technology Park since 2000.
Ali Morteza Birang - BS in Industrial Engineering, Sharif University
of technology, 2000 MBA, School of management and economics, sharif
university of technology, 2003 Vice President pardis technology
park, since 2001. |
