Ghanbar Naderi
Press TV, Tehran
The COVID-19 outbreak in Iran has turned out to be technology’s time to shine.
The available technology to help fight the virus is not anything new, but the National Innovation Fund and startups are using just that to slow the transmission of the disease. This includes using smart phones to report sickness and mapping local clusters.
Some startups have also taken initiative by locating clusters to their data banks, allowing more accurate information to identify new outbreaks in the country.
The National Innovation Fund is offering new grants and funds to help startups, ranging from tech to science. The new scheme includes investment funds for small companies impacted by the crisis, and knowledge-based companies focusing on research and development.
Using the internet and artificial intelligence in public health is not a new method in Iran.
Many startups and projects were around long before the coronavirus outbreak. The pandemic has only served as a kind of proving ground.