The following is the full text of the speech delivered on July 29, 2012 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting with a group of researchers and managers of knowledge-based companies.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
First of all, I would like to welcome the honorable friends, brothers, sisters and government officials. I hope that this meeting and similar meetings will be able to help eliminate the essential need that exists in our country - namely the need to develop knowledge, research and technology, the need to help talents blossom, the need to direct the outcomes of the outstanding talents of our nation into the lives of the people throughout the country.
The purpose of today's meeting was to support knowledge-based companies in particular and innovation in science and technology in general, and to prepare the way for the marketing of the products of such companies. The friends who spoke in this meeting made very good points. Fortunately our government officials are present in this meeting and they heard the suggestions. Of course, the friends who put forth those suggestions made certain criticisms as well and I believe they are right. Their criticisms are valid and it will be possible to address those criticisms by paying attention to the suggestions that they put forth. Our government officials are present in this meeting. The honorable Vice President and some of the ministers whose responsibilities are related to these issues as well as a number of other government officials are present in this meeting and they heard the points that were raised. By Allah's favor, what was said in this meeting will be summarized and followed up. Of course, certain expectations of the Leadership were also discussed and by Allah's favor, we will follow up all of them, both the things that are related to the executive branch and should be highlighted by the Leader and the things that are directly related to the Leadership in one way or another. By Allah's favor, we will follow up all these things. I wrote down a number of the suggestions and expectations that were discussed by the friends. Most of these suggestions and expectations are correct and I hope they are followed up. I will mention some of these suggestions and expectations.
What I stress and insist on is that knowledge is an inexhaustible resource for the country. If the cycle of producing knowledge is established in the country, if the existing talents are realized, if the capacities are utilized, then we will have an inexhaustible resource. Knowledge is self-generating and one does not have to depend on others to generate knowledge. Of course, if you want to import knowledge in a pre-packaged form, you will have to depend on others. But after the foundations of knowledge are established in a country that enjoys the necessary capacities, knowledge will generate itself in that country. If we focus on research, knowledge and deep thinking, if the issue of knowledge is followed up as seriously as it has been over the past few years or more seriously, the country will undoubtedly make it to the peak.
Considering the realities that are in front of our eyes, this accelerated movement towards the peak of progress we wanted to achieve is not at all an illusion. It is a fact and our experiences over the past years show the same thing. The statistics which were presented in this meeting show that in just a few years the country has achieved remarkable progress in important areas - in new sciences and in sciences that play a significant role in our lives. This shows that we enjoy the necessary capacities. We need to take this issue seriously. That is to say, we need to attach a lot of importance to the issue of knowledge and dependence on knowledge. We need to make this issue the pivot of our work. This is what I have been saying over the past years. If knowledge is taken seriously in different sectors, then our knowledge-based companies - whose work and production of wealth depend on knowledge - will be able to gradually help the country achieve genuine blossoming.
Production of wealth through selling exhaustible resources - such as oil and similar other things - is not genuine progress. It is self-deception. We fell into this trap. We should admit that this is a trap for our nation. We fell into the trap of selling raw materials. This was a legacy that we inherited from the past and the country became used to it. Of course, over the past years, efforts have been made to overcome this detrimental addiction to some extent, but we have not been completely successful. First, as far as oil is concerned, we need to believe that the country should reach a point where it can shut down the oil wells whenever it wants. We need to start to believe this. We still sell raw materials and minerals and this is one of our weaknesses, one the problems that the country is suffering from. If we want to liberate ourselves from this situation, if we want to achieve genuine economic growth, the only way is to rely on knowledge and this is possible through strengthening knowledge-based companies. We should move in this direction.
Of course, valuable things have already been done. The report that was presented by the honorable Vice President was very encouraging. Of course, I had received fairly detailed written reports about the things that have been done. The report that was presented by the Vice President is indicative of the fact that thankfully our governmental organizations are making good efforts. However, we should take a look and identify the weaknesses in different sectors and we should try to eliminate these weaknesses. By Allah's favor, if we manage to establish knowledge-based economic activities and make them the most common type of activities in our economy, this will not only bring about economic power for the country, but it will bring about political and cultural power as well. When a country feels that it can manage its affairs by relying on its own domestic knowledge and render services to other nations, it will develop a sense of identity. And this is exactly what the Muslim nations need today.
Before the Islamic Revolution, our people's self-confidence was undermined for many years. Since the time our government officials and then our people were first stunned by the dazzling scientific advances of the west, they gradually felt inadequate. A sense of inferiority was promoted in our country and among our people. Fortunately the Revolution changed everything, particularly this sense of inferiority. Therefore, establishing knowledge-based economic activities both strengthens our national sense of identity and increases our political power. Independence and self-sufficiency of a country bring about political as well as economic power for that country.
Generally, this meeting has been arranged to fulfill two purposes. One is to encourage our outstanding personalities and those who are involved in science and research to move towards establishing knowledge-based companies, marketing and commercializing the products and making them available to the people. This is the primary purpose of this meeting. Of course, simultaneous development of knowledge and wealth is a defining characteristic of such companies. Therefore, those who are involved in science and research and those involved in business and investment should try to increase the number of knowledge-based companies. It was said that until the end of the plan, twenty thousand companies will be established. However, I believe that we should make more efforts and establish a larger number of knowledge-based companies in the country. Of course, we need to pay attention both to quantity and to quality, which is a different issue.
The second purpose is to solve the problems of these knowledge-based companies. There are certain problems that can be resolved by the government - such as financial problems and different kinds of psychological support, which were mentioned in the suggestions. The different organizations whose responsibilities are related to this issue - the vice presidencies, the Ministry of Industries, the Ministry of Science, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad and the other ministries whose responsibilities are related to these areas - can cooperate with each other. They can agree on a system for division of labor. They can specify the responsibilities and try to eliminate the problems. Among the valid points which were raised in this meeting is that the traditional systems of financing - particularly our banks and monetary institutions - should revise their view of knowledge-based companies. The issue of financing is an important problem that such companies are faced with.
Another valid point which was raised in this meeting is the issue paying attention to risk-taking in knowledge-based companies. This is because if these companies are not prepared to take risks, they will not be able to continue their work. Of course, there are certain ways to make sure the losses which result from taking risks do not threaten the existence of these companies. One way is to offer special types of insurance and this is a responsibility that lies on the shoulders of our governmental organizations.
One important issue is that our governmental organizations should have the latest information on the inventions and patents and they should go after the inventors and ask them to cooperate. Our governmental organizations should help the inventors so that they can play a role in establishing knowledge-based companies in particular areas. They should not wait for the inventors to refer to them and follow up things through the labyrinth of bureaucracy and the problems of the bureaucratic system. Such things will definitely undermine enthusiasm and work against the existing capacities. According to the reports that I have received, foreigners are observing the capacities that exist in our country. Wherever they see capacities that can serve their purposes, they make investments and make use of those capacities. After all, human resources are the biggest asset for a country. We must not let such things happen. And the logical way to do so is to prepare the ground and encourage and help them to step into the arena, to work, to become hopeful. Then an inexhaustible asset will be created.
Among the points which were mentioned in this meeting was the necessity of implementing the law that has been passed to support knowledge-based companies. This law was passed 2, 3 years ago. The executive branch presented it to the Majlis in the form of a bill and the Majlis approved it. Of course, the necessary administrative laws have not been approved and announced yet and it is necessary to do so as soon as possible. By Allah's favor, our government officials who are present in this meeting will follow up this issue. A budget has already been approved for this purpose and a fund has been established. By Allah's favor, if that law is implemented, it will definitely contribute to the progress and development of knowledge-based companies.
Another point which was mentioned in the meeting was that our governmental organizations should not get the bigger share of state financial assistance, thereby leaving the private sector and non-governmental companies with little chance for competition. I was planning to discuss the same point. It has been highlighted in the reports that I receive and some of the friends who spoke in this meeting made the same point. We should enable the private sector to truly stand on its own feet and develop in the area of knowledge-based companies. If the private sector develops in this area, I believe it will bring about a lot of advantages for our country. The government will continue playing its role as the supporter, but the private sector will be responsible for action. This is another point that should receive attention.
One of the important points that should be taken into consideration is the need to establish data banks. One of the benefits of such meetings is that some people come and provide information for a group of our officials and our outstanding personalities. It is necessary to do this on a large scale. It is necessary to have a data bank. We should know what we have and what we lack. We should know what we need. In particular, some of the state sectors which were mentioned in this meeting - such as the oil industry, defense and agriculture - require a lot of things. If these needs are made clear for those who establish knowledge-based companies, those who are prepared to make scientific and financial investments will be able to go after addressing these needs. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to establish data banks and to provide the necessary information for everybody.
Another point is that knowledge-based companies can become active in different areas. Their activities should not be limited to a few particular areas. Wherever knowledge-based companies are needed, the ground should be prepared for them to play a role and actualize their capacities.
There is another point that I would like to discuss briefly at the end of my statements: our universities, our governmental organizations and our people - who fortunately enjoy the necessary capabilities and capacities both in terms of knowledge and in terms of financial matters - should try to identify and fulfill their particular responsibilities at this sensitive historical juncture. "Economy of resistance" is not a slogan. It is a truth. Our country is making progress. We see very promising and bright prospects for our country. It is evident that moving towards these prospects has its own challenges. Some of these challenges are dues to economic issues and some others are due to political matters. Some of them are regional and some others are international. And the pressures that are exerted on us are an instance of these challenges. We are faced with political pressures, sanctions, negative propaganda and other kinds of pressures, but in spite of these problems, there is firm determination to eliminate these problems and reach the point that we are supposed to reach. These are the conditions of the country.
We have not at all reached a dead end. We are not at all faced with problems which can break our resolve to continue our path. Such problems do not exist. Yes, there are problems, but these problems are not big enough to break our resolve. They are smaller than the goals and values of our nation and our country. Yet we do not want to take a break and rest. We are in the middle of the arena, which is challenging and motivating at the same time, just like competing in sports events. Taking part in sports events involves exertion and anxiety, but there is also enthusiasm. No competitor refuses to participate in sports events because of exertion and anxiety. On the contrary, they are filled with enthusiasm. There is mental and physical exertion involved, but this does not stop competitors from taking part in sports events. Our conditions are like this.
This arena is the arena of the Iranian nation's historic movement. From a historical point of view, our movement is one that will go down in history. That is to say, our people are probably determining the course of our history for several centuries. Such an opportunity is not one that presents itself frequently. It does not arise at every historical juncture, but fortunately this opportunity has presented itself to us. The Revolution provided our country and our nation with an opportunity to launch a long-term historic movement, one that will go down in history.
Each and every one of us should identify and fulfill our responsibility. Economy is one of the arenas in which we should identify and fulfill our responsibility. And in such conditions there is a need for an economy of resistance, namely a kind of economy that is accompanied by resistance against our enemies' obstructionism and wickedness. I believe your work in knowledge-based companies is one of the factors that can strengthen our economy of resistance. Knowledge-based companies are one of the best manifestations of an economy of resistance and one of the most effective elements of such an economy. It is necessary to follow up this issue.
By Allah' favor, there are bright future prospects for us. I hope Allah the Exalted bestows success on all of you. I hope Allah the Exalted helps our honorable government officials to fulfill their responsibilities. You too should carry out your responsibilities. By Allah's favor, the proposals that were put forth in this meeting will be implemented. The majority of these proposals were good. By Allah's favor, the proposals will be evaluated and implemented. I pray to Allah the Exalted to bestow success on all of you and I hope the future of the Iranian nation will be far better than its current and past conditions.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings