Digital heritage pact signed to safeguard national archives via cloud tech
Iran's Information Technology Organization and the National Library and Archives of Iran signed a cooperation agreement on Tuesday to expand digital infrastructure, strengthen cloud computing capabilities and launch joint projects aimed at protecting and modernizing the country's written heritage.
The agreement marks a broader push to accelerate the digital transformation of Iran's archival system by combining advanced computing infrastructure with the preservation of historical manuscripts, documents and research collections, IRNA reported.
Mohammad Mohsen Sadr, deputy minister of information and communications technology and head of the Information Technology Organization of Iran (ITO), described the initiative as "a strategic and lasting step" that brings information technology into one of the country's most important cultural missions.
"Protecting the nation's valuable data requires modern technologies," Sadr said. "We are ready to support the National Library and Archives through processing infrastructure, cloud computing, specialized expertise and joint operational projects."
He said preserving the country's documentary heritage had taken on greater significance and pledged to begin implementing projects immediately following the signing of the agreement.
Sadr also said the organization would provide the computing infrastructure needed to support the National Library and Archives' digital services while helping integrate its role into Iran's broader digital government architecture.
Referring to Iran's digital government ecosystem initiative, he said planning documents covering seven major digital ecosystems had been completed after more than 90,000 hours of work with universities. The framework, he added, drew positive attention at recent international meetings in Geneva focused on artificial intelligence, the information society and digital development.
Gholamreza Amirkhani, head of the National Library and Archives of Iran, said the country's written heritage forms "the backbone of Iran's identity and civilization" and increasingly depends on digital technologies for long-term preservation.
"A substantial share of our documentary heritage has moved from paper to digital platforms," Amirkhani said. "This agreement opens a new chapter in strengthening technological infrastructure, expanding digital services and delivering tangible results in preserving and sharing Iran's written legacy."
He added that the National Library and Archives remains a leading research center for Iranian studies, the Persian language, Islamic studies and the Islamic Revolution, serving scholars worldwide through its electronic databases and digital services.