TEHRAN – Iran has ranked 60th in the world and 4th in West Asia in the 2021 Global Innovation Index which analyzes dozens of criteria using seven equally weighted metrics, including research and development spending, manufacturing capability, and concentration of high-tech public companies.

The 2021 rankings reflect a world where the fight against Covid-19 has brought innovation to the fore –- from government efforts to contain the pandemic, to the digital infrastructure that’s allowed economies to work through it, and the race to develop vaccines that can end it.

Iran ranked fourth next to the United Arab Emirates (43), Qatar (52), and Saudi Arabia (53) in the ranking, Bloomberg reported.

The International Labor Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization were the sources of information.

South Korea regained the crown from Germany, which dropped to fourth place. Singapore and Switzerland each moved up one spot to rank second and third.

Iran ranked 43rd among the 100 most vibrant clusters of science and technology (S&T) worldwide for the third consecutive year, according to the Global Innovation Index 2020 report.

The total ranking of Iran was 67 in the GII 2020 report, which was 61 in 2019.

Technology development in Iran

Despite sanctions putting pressure on the country, a unique opportunity was provided for business development and the activity of knowledge-based companies in the country.

Currently, some 5,000 knowledge-based companies are active in the country, manufacturing diverse products to meet the needs of the domestic market while saving large amounts of foreign currency.

The fields of aircraft maintenance, steel, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment, oil, and gas are among the sectors that researchers in technology companies have engaged in, leading to import reduction.

MG