INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
to become more active in the innovation and technology sector of the country, IRNA quoted Saeed Sarkar, an official with the vice-presidency
for science and technology, as saying.According to Sarkar, 22 innovative projects in three main fields including advanced materials and
manufacturing technologies (seven out of fifty-three submitted projects); optics, quantum, and microelectronic technologies (eight out of
thirty-one presented projects) and biotechnology and precision medicine (seven out of fifty-one submitted projects) were selected for the
final stage of the second edition of the national award, IRNA reported.The main objectives of the event include expanding research and
development initiatives and focusing on leading and advanced technologies.NEXT also aims to converge technologies to address economic,
social, and environmental challenges; support the development of technology companies; encourage industries and large companies to use
technology output, as well as business sophistication has improved from 55 and 117 in 2023 to 49 and 110 in 2024, respectively.Also, the
ranks second among the countries of the Central and Southern Asian region, unchanged compared with the last two years.India and Kazakhstan
ranked first and third, respectively.Iran ranks 5 among the 38 lower-middle-income group economies, which has improved compared to the 2023
ranking (6).As stated in the 2024 edition, over the past four years (2020-2024), the statistical confidence interval for the ranking of Iran
in the GII 2024 is between ranks 56 and 80.Iran performed better in innovation outputs (48) than in innovation inputs (85) in 2024.Published
by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the report ranks Iran first in Market capitalization, and Trademarks by origin.It
ranks 3, 5, 8, 17, 19, 23, and 35 in Software spending, Gross capital formation, Graduates in science and engineering, market
sophistication, Domestic market scale, Intangible asset intensity, and Tertiary education, respectively.Iran (Islamic Republic of) ranks
highest in Market sophistication (17), Knowledge and technology outputs (49), Creative outputs (52), and Human capital and research (64).The
