TEHRAN – The Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy has elaborated on the measures that would contribute to the advancement of the biotechnology sector and the development of health technologies in the country.

Concerning the decisive role of biotechnology in food security, health, and knowledge-based economy, the country has adopted a series of technological and research projects focusing on scientific data analysis, expansion of innovation infrastructure, and enhancement of strategic biotechnology value chains, IRNA reported.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) for advanced analysis of the country’s scientific data in biotechnology is one of the most important steps taken.

AI language models and natural language processing tools are used to conduct extensive mining on scientific articles by Iranian researchers.

Moreover, seven specialized biotechnology centers have been launched at universities. An institutional synergy model has been developed to implement the ‘national division of labor in biotechnology’ plan, which is being implemented with the help of different agencies, including the headquarters for the development of biosciences and technologies and stem cells, the national Planning and Budget Organization, the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, and the Iran National Science Foundation.

The technological missions are communicated to universities, and the distribution of knowledge-based companies operating in various fields of biotechnology has also been identified and analyzed.

Signing memoranda of understanding with universities to boost the scientific capacities of the country and expedite strategic biotech development was among other measures adopted.

To support the strategic biotechnology value chains, various programs are being implemented, including the transition from raw material sales to the manufacturing of high-added-value products. In this regard, a document has been developed to implement the ‘biorefinery’ project in two fields: nutrient biotechnology and sugarcane biotechnology.

Enhancing intergovernmental collaborations to address challenges associated with food security and environment, establishing a national clinical research organization in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), and launching two corporate venture capital funds in the regenerative medicine field are among other employed strategies.

Biotech holds 60% share of pharmaceutical exports

Biotechnology products account for a major portion of Iran’s pharmaceutical exports, with a share of 60 percent.

In 2025, Haleh Ahmadi, the head of the association of pharmaceutical biotechnology producers and exporters, said some 99 percent of pharmaceutical biotechnology products are manufactured domestically.

Biotechnology products are exported to 40 countries worldwide, compared to 35 countries in the past Iranian calendar year (March 2024 – March 2025). The exported medicines are worth 120 – 130 million dollars, Mehr news agency quoted Ahmadi as saying.

Thanks to the pharmaceutical biotechnology producers, the country is saving 5 billion dollars, which would have otherwise been spent on importing these products, she noted.

Currently, 45 pharmaceutical biotechnology products, including medicines, kits, and medical tools, are produced in Iran, Ahmadi added.

MT/ MG