Iran

Organization and Innovation System

Under the president of Iran, the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology (MSRT); the Technology Cooperation Office; and the Supreme Council for Science, Research, and Technology have been created to fund and to promote innovation and specific research goals. The MSRT serves as the coordinating body for science and technology policy making and national innovation [Page 367]across a large number of vertically integrated ministries. Some of the asserted strategic goals of the Ministry are to design an innovation strategy, to strengthen measures to support transparency and accountability, to implement innovation strategies, to foster research and technological capacity through joint ventures and licensing agreements, and to target the industry. In return, the research institutions and universities help ministries facilitate decisions relating to research priorities by monitoring technological developments and providing feedback. Additionally large enterprises are seen to rely on research institutes for product development and process innovation. Since 2006, there have been 216 research institutes under the MSRT.

The main actors in the Iranian innovation system remain state-owned research institutes, universities, and enterprises. Other private organizations or groups have not traditionally had significant impact on innovation. Foreign company operations have largely been restricted to specific free zones where these operations were permitted. Impact on the overall economy and innovation has not been substantial. Demand and private enterprise were weak, and motivation was low to develop new products. Although the hierarchy of ownership and production has not changed much, the government is slowly becoming more open to changes and augmenting research centers.

In Iran, nanotechnology research is not limited to one organization, but is spread over numerous universities, research organizations, and specific research groups. Directly attached to the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology is the biggest research center in Iran, the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST). Established in 1980 under the Revolutionary Council to financially and intellectually support innovators, inventors, researchers, and start-up companies, IROST reviews proposals from researchers and funds the projects and prototypes deemed worthy. It is estimated that one-quarter of all Iranian university students are pursuing engineering curricula and 10 percent life or physical sciences. For engineering, the total number of Iranian graduates increased from approximately 5,000 in 1991 to over 14,000 a decade later. With respect to innovation, IROST provides support services such as aiding technology transfer to third parties, acquiring production facilities and licenses from the Ministry of Industry and Mines for innovators, and recommending researchers to banks for low-interest loans. It also offers policy recommendations for decision making in development of national science and technology development.

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