A study of the situation of science, technology and innovation in Iran in the latest UNESCO Science Report 2021, published in June 1400 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), shows that our country is researching the formation of knowledge-based and creative companies. And the development and creation of innovation zones has experienced rapid growth.

"The development of accelerators and innovation centers in the last 5 years has led to a rapid and exponential increase in startups and knowledge-based companies," the report said. "Increasing the exports of knowledge-based and creative companies during the embargo period, as well as focusing and encouraging them to meet the needs of producing products and providing knowledge-based services within the country, are examples of this rapid growth."

 The report also avoids various reforms and legislations that have been developed to remove barriers to competition in the Iranian market, and considers this as an effective step in providing innovation and significantly improving the state of science and technology in the country.

"Innovation in Iran has grown rapidly over the past five years, and by the end of last year, 49 accelerators and 113 innovation centers had provided services to startups with the participation of the private sector," the report said.

 Advances and high capabilities of Iranian biotechnology and pharmaceutical technology are also emphasized in this report. That 95% of the drugs used and two thirds of the active ingredient of the drugs are produced domestically. Also, the export of Iranian biopharmaceuticals to the European market, especially Germany, is one of the strengths of Iran's development in this field.

The 2021 UNESCO Scientific Report emphasizes that efforts to promote innovation in the biotechnology sector through the launch of a specialized accelerator such as Perse Gene (by Sinagen Company) are also one of the symbols of development in Iran. The increase in the number of knowledge-based and creative companies in the biotechnology and nanotechnology sector and the growth of their sales and exports is an example of the development of technology ecology and innovation in advanced technologies in Iran.

 Another important topic of this report is "the role of knowledge-based and technology companies in the Corona era." The report emphasizes the support of the Vice Presidency of Science and Technology and the Innovation and Prosperity Fund for the production of advanced equipment and supplies for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery shortly after the onset of the epidemic in the country and is described as a positive and effective experience.

The UNESCO scientific report also points to the country's rapid growth in the global innovation index, which reflects the overall state of innovation, including innovation inputs and outputs. The study states that this index in Iran from 2015 to 2019 with a continuous improvement from 106 to 61, ie the growth of 45 steps in Iran in this index. During this period, the number of Iranian patents registered in the National Bureau of Intellectual Property as well as reputable international authorities have continued to increase.

 In another part of this report, different generations of innovation zones are mentioned. Campus Technology Park, Liberty Innovation Factories, and Highway have been instrumental in successfully implementing this approach. Azadi Innovation Factory has created 3,500 jobs for university graduates and young entrepreneurs, who, along with 6,000 employees of 500 companies located in the campus technology park, are creating a role in the development of innovation. Sharif Innovation Zone is another example of implementing the Technology Ecosystem and Innovation Innovation Approach approach, which hosts more than 500 startups.

 Iran's good situation in gender equality of higher education students, which statistics show that currently, 46.6% of students are female, has been described as another strength of Iran in the field of science, technology,and innovation.

Communication and Information Center of the Vice Presidency of Science and Technology