Bahrami: Creative Economy Placed Among National Priorities

Isfahan – The head of the Manouin event said developing the creative economy was made a special mission for achieving a national, knowledge-based economy and was prioritized at the third session of the National Policymaking Council, chaired by the President.

According to Mehr reporter, Abdul Hassan Bahrami, on Tuesday morning, during the opening ceremony of the Manovin Festival, which is being held under the auspices of the Presidential Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, he listed the development of the value chain of creative industries, facilitating companies' access to financial resources, and turning the country's cultural capacities into economic opportunities as the main goals of Manovin.

Referring to the issue of the development of the creative economy in the third meeting of the National Policy Council, which was chaired by the president, he said: After about 14 years, the presence of the president in the group of creative industry activists and a direct dialogue with these activists was provided, and the development of the creative economy was considered as one of the priorities for the realization of the national and knowledge-based economy.

The head of the national creative industries event, Manvin added: The formation of the development program of this sector and drawing the attention of the country's senior policy makers to the capacities of creative industries provides a basis for strengthening the position of this field in the country's economic plans, and the continuation of this path requires the synergy of executive bodies, scientific and technological institutions, and economic activists.

Explaining Manvin's approach in developing creative businesses, Bahrami stated: The purpose of this event is not simply to show achievements or support the production of a creative product, but to create an efficient chain that connects the idea to the product, the product to the market, the market to income, and the income to the sustainable growth of the business and the development of export markets.

He considered Iran's cultural capital and creativity as important capacities for the country's economic development and continued: turning these capacities into economic opportunities, forming sustainable businesses, creating productive employment and the prosperity of the creative economy, are the main goals of holding the Manvin national event; Goals whose realization requires an effective link between ideation, production, financing and the market.

The head of the strategic center of knowledge-based economy development staffs, referring to the support mechanisms foreseen in this event, said: Manvin is designed in three parts: exhibition, festival and support calls, so that while introducing the products and achievements of creative companies, the top brands in this field are identified, and start-up companies also get the necessary support for the development of their products.

Bahrami announced the allocation of a 100 billion Toman credit line by the Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy to support the development of creative industries products and stated: This credit is intended to provide low-interest facilities and provide financial support for product development in this area.

He added: The Innovation and Prosperity Fund has also allocated a credit line of 100 billion tomans to support companies active in this sector, and the possibility of increasing it has also been raised. Also, with the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Deputy of Employment and Welfare of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare, the use of the resources of the Omid Entrepreneurship Fund has been provided to support creative industries businesses.

Referring to the scope of participation of companies in this event, the head of the national event of creative industries, Manvin, said: creative companies from all 31 provinces of the country are present in the exhibition section and present their products and achievements in seven specialized areas of creative industries.

He stated that about 8,000 square meters of exhibition space and 1,000 square meters of event space have been planned for this event, he added: In addition to the exhibition section, more than 20 specialized events have been planned with the participation of devices and collections active in the field of creative industries to provide a field for specialized interaction, transfer of experience and review of development solutions for this sector.

Referring to the participation of specialized institutions in Manvin's programs, Bahrami continued: Collections such as the Innovation Center of the Legislature, the Art District, the Park of Soft Technologies and Creative Industries, the Innovation and Prosperity Fund, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts participate in various parts of this event.

He considered the contribution of women and young people in the composition of the companies present in the exhibition as one of the important features of this event and said: about 50% of the companies present in the exhibition are made up of women and more than 70% of the companies are in the age range of 20 to 35 years.

The head of the strategic center of knowledge-based economy development headquarters pointed out: This statistic shows that creative industries have a significant capacity for the economic participation of women and youth, and they can provide a more effective presence of these groups in production, entrepreneurship and market development by creating suitable support platforms.

Referring to the selection of Isfahan as the host of the Manvin national event, Bahrami said: Isfahan's cultural and civilizational capacities and the support of the province's administration have provided a suitable basis for holding this event. Manvin's planning and preparation has also been followed for about 9 months with the participation of provincial collections and related institutions.

The Manvin National Creative Industries event was organized by the Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy with the aim of strengthening the ecosystem of creative industries, supporting the development of businesses, introducing the innovative capacities of the provinces and connecting creative products with domestic and export markets in Isfahan.