The Islamic Republic of Iran has developed the science and technology skills necessary to be a global player in more than oil and gas but needs to invest more in innovation to compete effectively in the global economy, according to a UNCTAD report. Since 2005, when UNCTAD last assessed the country’s policies on science, technology and innovation (STI), Iran has had one of the world’s fastest growing scientific outputs, climbing from 34th to 16th position in scientific publications. Its population now has the world’s second-highest number of engineer graduates per capita, says UNCTAD’s latest Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Review for Iran. “UNCTAD is happy to support and to work with Iran at this important moment in their history,” said Shamika Sirimanne, director of UNCTAD’s Division on Technology and Logistics, ahead of the report’s launch in Tehran on Tuesday. Iran has shown it can do research and work with technology, even in emerging sectors like nanotech, but the challenge now is to commercialize this knowledge, the report finds. With sanctions removed, Iran’s $400 billion economy holds the promise of a lucrative market of nearly 80 million consumers and science and technology could help.
