Razi institute proposes joint production, technology transfer with African countries
Iran’s Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute has proposed expanding exports, transferring technology, conducting joint research and producing biological products as key areas for strengthening cooperation with African countries, its head Hassan Morovati said.
Speaking at the first national meeting on Iran-Africa agricultural cooperation on Sunday, Morovati said the institute aimed to move beyond conventional product exports toward sustainable partnerships, technology transfer and joint production, according to IRNA.
He outlined six proposed areas of cooperation: expanding exports and maintaining a presence in target markets; transferring technology and developing domestic production; conducting joint research and developing biological products; cooperating on quality control, quality assurance and regulatory affairs; providing specialized training and building capacity; and establishing institutional and regional cooperation networks.
Joint initiatives could range from product exports and the transfer of technical know-how to participation in manufacturing and packaging, as well as joint research projects, Morovati said. Such cooperation could help strengthen the scientific and regulatory capabilities of both sides, he added.
Outlining the institute’s previous engagement with African countries, Morovati cited a 2023 webinar attended by 15 Iranian ambassadors to African countries, participation in trade and economic exhibitions in Tanzania and Iran, and negotiations with officials and public and private companies in African countries.
He also pointed to a request from Kenya’s foreign minister for the supply of snake antivenom as a potential area of cooperation.
Morovati said the Razi Institute was ready to work with African countries not only through product exports but also through technology transfer, training and joint production.
He added that the institute had held training courses for veterinary experts from Mali, Mauritania and Senegal as part of efforts to expand scientific and technical cooperation with African countries.
The first national meeting on Iran-Africa agricultural cooperation opened in Tehran on Saturday, with ambassadors, economic advisers, honorary consuls and more than 200 businesspeople in attendance.
The Razi Institute, established in 1925, has produced more than 60 billion doses of vaccines since 2001, according to figures cited by its then-head, Ali Eshaqi, at a ceremony marking the institute’s 100th anniversary in January 2023.
Eshaqi also said at the time that the institute had produced more than 600 million doses of polio vaccine, which he credited with helping save 100 million children.