TEHRAN – Iran and Armenia have emphasized the need to hold a meeting of the joint science-technology committee.Iranian Deputy Science Minister, Vahid Haddadi Asl, met with Armenian Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, Artur Martirosyan, in Tehran on Monday.The two sides discussed a range of issues and announced readiness for a visit of officials from the Iranian ministry of science to Armenia and also a visit of the Armenian science minister to Iran in the future, IRNA reported.An Iranian house of innovation and technology is to be established in Armenia with the aim of developing the export of Iranian knowledge-based products.They also agreed to pave the way for Iranian knowledge-based companies to expand markets in Armenia and provide Armenian students with the possibility to study in Iranian universities.The first meeting of the Iran-Armenia joint science-technology committee had been held in 2018.In June, Haddadi Asl met with Armenian Ambassador to Iran Arsen Avagyan, discussing ways to broaden ties in the fields of science and technology.The meeting was held in Tehran, in which the two sides expressed readiness to exchange university students, transfer technology, and create joint research centers.House of innovationAn Iranian House of Innovation and Technology (IHIT) is to be established in Armenia with the aim of developing the export of Iranian knowledge-based products.Over the few past years, with the support of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, the Iranian house of innovation has been set up in several countries to develop the global market for knowledge-based products.These centers have already been set up in countries such as Russia, Turkey, China, Syria, and Kenya, and Iraq will soon join them.The Innovation and Prosperity Fund affiliated with the Vice Presidency of Science and Technology has earmarked a sum of 170 trillion rials (nearly $650 million) to support knowledge-based companies over the past 4 years.There are currently 6,263 knowledge-based companies operating in the country, offering advanced products and services in various fields of technology to domestic and foreign markets, and some of them have entered international markets, Siavash Maleki, deputy head of the Fund, has said.The fields of aircraft maintenance, steel, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, oil, and gas are among the sectors that researchers in technology companies have engaged in, leading to import reduction.MG