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About Festival
Introduction
The Sheikh Bahaei National technopreneurship Festival, recognized as the oldest and most prestigious technology and innovation event in the country, offers a unique platform for creative individuals, innovators, and entrepreneurs to exchange ideas, experiences, and innovative achievements across various technological domains. Beyond the exciting competition of innovative projects, novel ideas and plans in the technology sector, this festival features a diverse range of side events designed to engage key players in the national entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.
Objectives of the Festival
- Stimulating growth in technology-based and knowledge-intensive businesses.
- Identifying technology-based units ready to enter domestic and global markets.
- Facilitating the impact of the knowledge-based economy on sustainable development and national progress.
- Directing technopreneurial and innovative activities toward addressing national challenges and issues to maximize their impact on the innovation and technology ecosystem
- Identifying the successful technology-based units and innovators and introducing them to technology investors.
- Fostering connections between idea generators, business planners, inventors, and innovators with various sectors of the national economy.
- Promoting, developing, and encouraging a culture of creativity, innovation, technology-based entrepreneurship.
- Increasing hope in technopreneurs and strengthening self-belief and confidence, particularly in team-based efforts.
Target Audience
- Technology-based and knowledge-intensive companies
- Mature companies located in science and technology parks
- Startups and growing companies located in technology incubators
- Technology-oriented industrial companies
- Research and development units of large companies and industries
- Private and public-sector investors, venture capitalists, and philanthropists supporting entrepreneurship
- Sponsors of technology and entrepreneurship in the country The festival consists of two sections: a competition and a non-competition section.
Competition Section of the Festival
The festival’s competition section will be held in three categories: Business planners, Technology-Based Entrepreneurship, technology commercialization and commercialized Technologies. As it is expected that successful business planners or entrepreneurs possess strong negotiation and pitching skills, the target audience for this section includes innovators, startups, mature companies, and research and development units aiming to present technology-based projects addressing identified opportunities, solving fundamental challenges or problems, or proposing expansion plans. Participants can enter the festival based on the specific requirements of each category as follows
1) Business planners:
Participants in this category are innovators and startups with technology-based projects that meet the following criteria:
1.1 A detailed and comprehensive feasibility study
1.2 A legal entity
1.3 The product or service presented in the project has not been sold or commercialized at the time of registration. The most important evaluation criteria in this category include the technical aspects of the technology-based project, its commercialization potential, and the readiness of the presenter to attract investment.
2) Technopreneurship and technology Commercialization
Companies can participate in this section of the festival if they meet the following three essential criteria:
2.1 Innovation and technology in production and a detailed and comprehensive feasibility study
2.2 production and commercialization
2.3 Transferring at least 51% of shares to private sector ownership
To ensure fair evaluation in this section, the judgment will be conducted in two subcategories:
Startups: Companies that have started offering their products to the market for less than three years.
Mature companies: Companies that have started offering their products to the market for more than three years.
In addition to evaluating the innovation and technology in the idea, the key evaluation criteria in this section includes the assessment of human resources and financial management, as well as the existence of a commercialized technology-based product.
The Industry-Shaping Technology award will be presented to the best technology-based project that has reached mass production and has revolutionized the business landscape by establishing a production line or factory. This award was established by the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology and the Isfahan Science and Technology Town in memory of the late Dr. Mahmoud Sheikh Zeinoddin, the former Deputy for Innovation and Technology Commercialization at the Vice Presidency.
Non-Competition Section:
Technology Exhibition:
One of the primary goals of the technology exhibition, alongside the competitive elements of the festival, is to provide a conducive platform for knowledge-based and technology-oriented companies to showcase their achievements in person. This facilitates close interaction and engagement with the audience in a friendly atmosphere throughout the festival.
Investment opportunities:
As a dynamic and continuous feature of the festival, this segment is designed to connect active investors with innovative entrepreneurs seeking capital and market growth. By providing a structured platform for pitching and networking, the program facilitates B2B interactions between these two essential groups. The main features of this segment include:
- Comprehensive support for entrepreneurs to refine their investment pitches.
- Rigorous evaluation of investment-worthy projects.
- Participation of a diverse pool of domestic and international investors.
- Matching investors with high-potential startups.
- Capacity building for early-stage companies.
- Expert-led and specialized workshops on various aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship.
- Attendance of key industry stakeholders and policymakers.
Through tailored programs, the segment will introduce innovative companies to potential investors. Investment opportunities can include offering opportunities for investment in new ventures, growth and development of existing businesses, promoting k-based activities of these companies and commercialization of knowledge-based products.
Specialized Workshops and Events:
The festival will feature a series of specialized workshops and events, bringing together successful domestic and international entrepreneurs, as well as leading experts in entrepreneurship and innovation. These interactive sessions are designed to provide valuable insights and knowledge to managers and experts from knowledge-based and technology-oriented companies, science and technology parks, incubators, and other stakeholders in the technology ecosystem. The primary objective is to foster positive engagement and knowledge sharing among all participants.
Dr. Soledad Diez
Festival Mission
Entrepreneurship means not to quit and to keep going. It means perseverance, making efforts to remove obstacles and planning for achieving our goals
Sponsors
-
Vice-Presidency for Science & Technology
en.isti.ir -
Planning and Budgeting Organization
www.mporg.ir/en -
Isfahan Municipality
www.isfahan.ir -
UNICEF
www.unicef.org -
Pirouz Award
-
Knowledge-based Economy Culture-Building Headquarter
insf.org/en -
Isfahan Science and Technology Town
www.istt.ir -
Isfahan Province Research & Technology Network
irtnportal.org -
Isfahan University of Technology
iut.ac.ir -
Isfahan Regional Center for Technology Incubator & Science Park Development, under the auspices of UNESCO IRIS
www.unesco-iris.com
Contact
Address: Isfahan Science and Technology Town, Isfahan University of Technology Blvd., Isfahan, Iran
Post Box: 84155-666 Postal Code: 8415683111
International office Phone Numbers: +98 31-33860619 +98 31-33865455 extension:1171
Email: International.affairs@istt.ir