ISTT holds 16th Sheikh Bahai Technopreneurship Festival (SHTF)

Isfahan Science and Technology Park (ISTT) held the 16th Sheikh Bahai Technopreneurship Festival (SHTF) with the direct support of Isfahan Regional Center for Technology Incubator and Science Park Development (IRIS), under the auspices of UNESCO. This festival aims to identify the country’s unknown entrepreneurial and innovative minds working in different fields of science and technology and to introduce them to eager investors looking for a new project to back. Like the previous year, due to the current Pandemic, the event was organized into two segments of competition and non-competition sections on an online platform.

In line with its mission to facilitate the exchange of experience and best practices, ISTT asked for the valuable contribution of the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation(IASP). Therefore, three speakers from IASP including Ebba Lund- the CEO of IASP, Martin Gorosko- Business Service Manager in Tallin Science Park, Tehnopol (Estonia) and Thomas Prexl- Head of Innovation and Co-Creation and Director of Startup Support Bureau at Heidelberg Technology Park (Germany)- shared their insights about Technopreneurial events and commercialization activities with the participants.

The event lasted for two days on an online platform, however, the closing ceremony was held in ISTT Conference hall with the attendance of the deputy Minister of SRT for Technology. Awarding the selected and superior technopreneurs, unveiling 3 high tech products made by ISTT companies and signing 4 contracts on investment on entrepreneurial plans and establishing the House of Creativity in Isfahan were among the programs of this festival.

A training webinar on “How an entrepreneurial team can raise investment from angel investors” was also held at the sideline of the event on November 17^th, 2021. The webinar was conducted and instructed by Peter Cowley- a graduate of Cambridge University who shared his 4 decades of experience as an entrepreneur and an angel with the participants.