Mashhad Innovation Factory

Mashhad Innovation Factory is a startup and innovation hub in Mashhad, Iran, established by transforming a disused Coca-Cola factory into a modern innovation campus through an adaptive reuse project. Implemented between 2019 and 2021, the initiative was led and funded by the Mashhad Municipality as part of its urban development and economic growth strategy. The project revitalized a neglected industrial site, preserving the existing buildings while converting them into functional workspaces. The campus comprises approximately 10,000 m² of renovated indoor space within a 37,000 m² site, including 27,000 m² of restored parkland designed to encourage collaboration, creativity, and public engagement. It currently hosts 33 resident companies, creating a vibrant community for innovation and business growth.

The Innovation Factory serves as a focal point for the entrepreneurship ecosystem in eastern Iran, bringing together startups, freelancers, accelerators, technology companies, investors, and knowledge-based enterprises under one roof. It offers shared workspaces alongside a comprehensive range of business support services, including mentoring, coaching, market and product advisory, business assessment, networking opportunities, training programmes, and assistance in attracting investment. By providing these services in a single location, the facility aims to reduce barriers for early-stage businesses and help innovative ventures develop and scale.

A distinctive feature of the Innovation Factory is the presence of the Ferdowsi Accelerator, the business accelerator of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM), which operates as a resident partner within the campus. This collaboration strengthens the innovation ecosystem by connecting resident startups with university expertise and talent, facilitating interdisciplinary research and innovation projects, and expanding access to technology commercialization, investment attraction, and startup empowerment through the Accelerator's role as an official agent of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology.