Dr. Hassan Rouhani, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran addressed the National Sheikh Bahai Technopreneurship Festival (SHTF) in a message which was read at the festival’s closing ceremony by the president of Isfahan Science and Technology Town (ISTT). The message addressing the festival was as follows:

• ‘Our Islamic Iran, with its rich history and civilization has started a new and unique era. Today, on the one hand, we have achieved sovereignty and independence after 4 decades of constant vigilance and labor, and on the other hand we have embarked with great enthusiasm to reach the peaks of development and social equality in an environment of rationality and peace.
• At such times of which most the countries of our region are suffering from insecurity as a result of extremism and external interference, our proud nation has endeavored to pursue sustainable economic growth in an exemplary secure and peaceful environment.    
• We value the opportunity that the National Sheikh Bahai Technopreneurship festival creates in gathering entrepreneurs, technopreneurs and innovators from around the country, whom carry the sole responsibility of development on their shoulders. The Government and I, express our gratitude and happiness towards our youth for their movement towards the establishment of start-ups and innovative knowledge-based companies. I can declare with great certainty that our youth and the path they have chosen in creating wealth from new opportunities are our hope and source of optimism for a bright future. 
• The Government of Prudence and Hope will support young start-ups and entrepreneurs in all fields and at all levels, and will also assist in providing the facilities and tools needed in alleviating their requirements despite all obstacles placed in the way.
• I believe that instead of pessimism towards our innovative youth, we should embrace all entrepreneurs and innovative thinkers to our Islamic regime and appreciate their effort in improving entrepreneurism and in creating economic prosperity, by rendering strong support towards them. Now that a group of entrepreneurial and technopreneurial elites have gathered together at the National Sheikh Bahai Technopreneurship Festival, I feel it is necessary to re-emphasize this governments support to all active participants of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and our intension to actualize preplanned programs for the development of the entrepreneurial and business oriented environments within Iran to its international peaks. Although I am not there with you in person, I thank each and every one of you and relay my trust in your bright futures. I also ask that you patiently continue on this path of scientific and innovative development and vigorously persist on establishing knowledge-based activities and companies. I ask of all our managers and persons that are somehow in contact with those who walk the line of technological development and who have endeavored to be innovative, to assist in swiftly resolving their issues and to use all of the capacity available to them in the 6^th National Five Year Developmental Plan and the Support of Knowledge-based Companies and Institutes Act. I ask this of you because the future of our Islamic Iran will only be guaranteed by the effort of our innovative, entrepreneurial and risk taking youth.’ 

28^th of April, 2017

Dr. Hassam Rouhani

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran