Afshin: Tehran should move towards cognitive cities

Emphasizing the development of urban innovation centers, the scientific vice president said: the capacity of knowledge-based companies and universities should be used to solve problems such as air pollution, traffic and transportation in Tehran.

According to the report of Ambassador Arjan Hossein Afshin, in the signing ceremony of the memorandum of cooperation between the Tehran Municipality and the Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, referring to the role of cities in the development of the country's innovation ecosystem, he stated: If the country is going to progress in the direction of knowledge-based development, cities are one of the important components of this development, and the ground for turning knowledge into products, services and economic and social impact should be provided in them.

Explaining the evolution of cities in the world, he added: In different divisions, cities are categorized from traditional and digital cities to smart cities, knowledge cities, based on artificial intelligence, and finally cognitive cities. Of course, these steps are not necessarily linear, and every city can simultaneously benefit from the different capacities of these models.

Referring to the difference between digital and smart cities, the president's vice president for science, technology and knowledge-based economy clarified: digitalization alone does not mean becoming smart. In some cases, previous processes have simply been transferred from paper format to electronic systems, without substantial modification of the processes. A smart city should be able to optimize processes and improve city services using data.

Afshin continued: In knowledge cities, universities, knowledge-based companies and innovation centers are placed next to urban management so that the knowledge produced leads to real impact. In cities based on artificial intelligence, data is also used to facilitate processes and solve problems; But in cognitive cities, in addition to using artificial intelligence, the city learns from past experiences and can continuously improve its processes to avoid repeating problems.

Stating that Tehran has the capacity to move in this direction, he said: Tehran is a complex metropolis with many issues and for this reason, it needs to learn faster and update itself. On the other hand, experience has shown that many of the patterns that are formed in Tehran can be expanded and modeled in other cities of the country.

Development of urban innovation centers with the aim of solving the capital's problems

Emphasizing the necessity of forming innovation centers in the context of urban life, Afshin stated: When innovative and knowledge-based companies are formed in the heart of the city and in the vicinity of its real issues, the possibility of using their achievements increases. Issues such as energy, air pollution, traffic and transportation are among the important issues of Tehran that can be solved by using the capacity of technology companies.

He added: The development of innovation centers and urban science and technology parks can reduce the gap between knowledge production and people's daily life. These centers are most effective when they are not separated from the living space of the citizens and innovation and technology are present in the daily activities of the society.

The academic vice president considered the memorandum of understanding between Tehran Municipality and the Scientific Vice-Chancellor to be an important step to bring closer the relationship between science and the city and said: this cooperation can provide the basis for Tehran's movement towards knowledge cities, cities based on artificial intelligence and cognitive cities and be a model for other cities in the country.

National Science Foundation's readiness to support urban research

Referring to the research capacities of the country and the need to use the power of academics to solve urban problems, Afshin said: The National Science Foundation of Iran has a suitable capacity to support applied research and we are ready to define priority urban problems in the form of research calls so that university professors and researchers can solve them using the resources of this foundation.

He continued: It is necessary to formulate the main issues of the city in a specific manner, statistics and research titles related to them. In this case, it is possible to turn part of urban issues into scientific and research projects in the form of joint cooperation and take advantage of the capacity of universities to provide practical solutions.

Afshin also pointed to the importance of using the capacity of the elites and said: the connection between the elites and the real problems of the city should be strengthened so that their innovative ideas are on the way to solving urban problems. Establishing such a relationship can help increase the sense of influence among the elites and expand their participation in the development of the city.

Development of social innovation and creative industries in Tehran

In another part of his speech, the President's vice president for science, technology and knowledge-based economy considered social innovation as one of the axes that can be developed in cooperation with Tehran Municipality and, referring to the joint experience of creating a social innovation center in Parand, said: this experience can be used as a model for the expansion of social innovation centers.

He also emphasized the capacity of Tehran municipality in developing creative industries and said: creativity is one of the important components in the formation of creative and innovative cities. Tehran, with its various facilities and spaces, can help develop creative activities and transform the achievements of creative industries into economic value.

Referring to the capacity of urban spaces to support artists and activists of creative industries, Afshin added: Using municipal facilities to hold exhibitions and introduce creative works and products can provide more communication between artists, innovators and citizens. Also, creating creative innovation centers in urban spaces, including Ray area, can help strengthen the urban innovation ecosystem.

The measure of the success of a smart city is the well-being of citizens

Emphasizing the necessity of paying attention to the real experience of people in evaluating the performance of smart cities, Afshin clarified: the most important issue is not what title a city has or how many indicators and programs it has implemented; Rather, it should be seen to what extent the citizens feel well-being and how much technology has been able to make their daily affairs easier.

He pointed out: The measure of success is that people feel the effect of technology in their lives. If citizens can receive services more easily, face fewer problems and have more comfort, it can be said that the city has moved on the path of becoming smart.

In the end, the academic vice president expressed his hope by appreciating the Municipality of Tehran and the cooperation carried out in the field of supporting knowledge-based companies: the joint memorandum will be the beginning of wider cooperation between urban management, universities, knowledge-based companies, elites and activists of creative industries, and by using the experience of leading countries, the field for the development of successful urban models and their expansion across the country will be provided.