Tasnim � Iran�s president officially inaugurated an innovation factory, a creative center providing connections and opportunities for various start-ups, in Tehran.

In a ceremony on Tuesday morning, President Hassan Rouhani formally inaugurated the Azadi (liberty) Innovation Factory in western Tehran.

Known as the first branch of the Pardis Technology Park, the innovation factory covers an area of 18,500 square meters and provides employment for 3,500 university graduates and young entrepreneurs.

Innovation factories have in recent years attracted growing attention as the new actors in the area of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Azadi Innovation Factory includes 10 separate sections and a central building providing opportunities for Iranian start-ups in a broad range of fields, such as tourism, architecture and urban life, nanopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, insurance and financial innovations, content creation, and cyber security.

The factory has been set up to facilitate entrepreneurial teams� access to the necessary infrastructure and facilities, create synergy among the start-ups, and encourage innovation and creativity in a dynamic atmosphere.

During a visit to the innovation factory two weeks ago, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hailed Iranian knowledge-based companies and their scientific products as the country�s relative advantages when it comes to exports.