Iran's economy needs knowledge-based companies more than ever to navigate the upcoming risky period. These companies are not only part of the future economy but also part of the current solutions. If they are supported correctly, they can play a decisive role in rebuilding trust in the market, enhancing productivity, reducing dependency, and creating added value.
The Growing Trend of Knowledge-Based Companies
The knowledge-based economy has become one of the serious hopes for Iran's economy in recent years. While the country's economy has faced chronic external and internal pressures, knowledge-based companies have been able to shoulder part of the burden of industrial modernization, productivity enhancement, and technology localization. However, the recent war and its consequences have also impacted this sector.
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Looking at the statistics, it can be seen that more than 10,000 knowledge-based companies are active in the country. The sales of these companies in 2021 were about 331 trillion tomans, which increased to 612 trillion tomans in 2022 and surpassed 1,137 trillion tomans in 2023. It is predicted that this figure will exceed 2,000 trillion tomans in 2024.
Challenges Facing Knowledge-Based Companies
In the days following the war, knowledge-based companies faced several challenges. The first challenge was a decline in demand. During periods of uncertainty, consumers and businesses readjust their spending, leading to a decrease in the purchase of innovative services. According to published surveys, the decline in customer demand has been identified as the main factor for revenue drop in the early days of the crisis.
The second blow came from disruptions in communication and internet infrastructure. This disruption is very significant for the knowledge-based economy, as the internet is a vital artery for online sales, customer communication, and cloud services. Finally, the third challenge relates to liquidity and working capital, which has put significant pressure on companies and led to project slowdowns and hiring delays.
Alongside these problems, retaining skilled personnel has also become a major challenge. Skilled human resources, which are the most important asset of the knowledge-based economy, tend to migrate in uncertain conditions, imposing additional costs on the economy.
The knowledge-based economy of Iran was becoming an important player in the national economy before the war, and now it remains to be seen whether this sector can continue its growth in light of new challenges or will face new problems.
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