Top News of Last Week with ANA
Azad News Agency (ANA) published a number of scientific and technological news during the past week whose top ones are as follows:
Knowledge-based Firms to Participate in Iran's Smart City, AI Expo
The Iranian Knowledge-based companies’ pavilion will be set up at the 6th International Exhibition and Conference of ‘Iran's Smart City and Artificial Intelligence’ due to be held in mid November.
The knowledge-based companies will participate in Iran's Smart City and Artificial Intelligence with the support of the Innovation and Prosperity Fund of Iran.
The exhibition and conference, due to be held at Tehran’s Grand Musalla during November 13-15, will be centered around artificial intelligence (AI), AI in urban management, AI in transportation and AI-powered logistics, AI in crisis management and security, AI in healthcare and citizens’ wellbeing, smart economy and smart governance through AI, AI in environment, sustainable energy, citizens’ participation, and public services.
Smart cities are known as the key to achieving a smart society and sustainable development.
The conference will bring together domestic and foreign scholars, practitioners, urban managers, industrialists, scholars, and experts, as well as knowledge-based companies, to share experiences and knowledge and accelerate the change to smart cities.
The conference will also provide an opportunity to display the latest achievements, scientific findings, technologies, techniques, and tools for implementing smart cities projects.
Iran to Hold Special Event on Innovative AI Ideas
The first national event on innovative artificial intelligence (AI) ideas will be held by Iran’s Intelligence House to provide an opportunity for startups, researchers, students and activists from various scientific and industrial fields to present their new ideas.
Milad Zare’kar, the secretary of the first national event on innovative artificial intelligence ideas, stated that its main goal is to link universities and industry.
“In this event, which will be held with the participation of activists from the field of technology, ten themes will be discussed, including smart agriculture, medicine and health, smart urbanization and housing, humanities and interdisciplinary studies, industry, mining and smart production, artificial intelligence technical technologies, education and basic intelligence, energy and environment, content and media production and smart transportation,” he added.
Zare’kar noted that projects from each field, which will be a total of 30 projects, will be presented by the owners of the ideas, and finally, after judging, one project from each field will be selected as the winner.
Iranian Firm Develops Smart News Editorial Platform
An Iranian knowledge-based company unveiled the ‘UTEX’ smart platform for news editorial which uses advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help the journalists, writers, marketers, and content producers to produce, edit, rewrite, translate, dictate and read texts.
“To develop the UTEX, we have used a combination of multiple language models and text processing algorithms to provide a smooth, accurate, and reliable experience for the user,” said Khosro Hosseinzadeh, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
“This platform not only can produce text based on the idea, audience, and desired tone, but can also change the tone of the article to formal, friendly, persuasive, and even humorous,” he added.
“With the ability to check Persian grammar, spelling, and writing, UTEX smartly identifies common errors and offers correction suggestions. It also generates SEO-optimized meta descriptions for each article, which increases the visibility of the content in search engines,” Hosseinzadeh said.
Noting that the UTEX is equipped with two important audio features, namely ‘Text-to-Speech’ and ‘Speech-to-Text, he said, “Users can listen to their content or type text by speaking. These features are especially useful for journalists and writers who are on the move or have limited time.”
Iranian Inventor Wins Gold Medal at iCAN 2025 Competition in Canada
Iranian inventor Sadeq Karimi Masouleh won the gold medal and special award at the International Invention Innovation (iCAN 2025) Competition in Canada with his invention named ‘Limita’ which is a smart system for the cellphone to adjust the charging percentage to disconnect the charger.
“Limita is a smart system that automatically cuts off the power supply and disconnects the charger cable from the mobile phone after the mobile battery is full,” said Karimi Masouleh.
He explained that the innovative technology, by eliminating constant pressure on the battery and the phone port, in addition to increasing battery life, significantly reduces the risks of overheating, wear and tear, and even fire.
“It is also possible for the users to set the desired percentage of their phone's charge, so that as soon as the charge reaches the desired number, the smart limit mechanism is activated and the charger cable is automatically and safely disconnected,” Karimi Masouleh said.
The 10th International Inventions Competition of Canada, Toronto (iCAN 2025) was held virtually and remotely on August 30, 2025, by the International Innovation and Advanced Skills Association of Toronto and with the support of the International Federation of Inventors (IFIA), and with more than 96 countries from five continents in participation.
Iran-Made Nanoparticles Used in Production of Anti-Itch, Dandruff Shampoos
A knowledge-based company in Iran produced selenium disulfide in the form of nanoparticles to reduce its consumption in anti-itch and dandruff shampoos by one-fifth.
By producing a wide range of advanced nanomaterials, including selenium nanoparticles, zinc oxide, and silver colloid, the knowledge-based company has succeeded in developing innovative products that are used in various industries, including cosmetics, textiles, and plastics.
The company's production capacity is two tons per month for zinc oxide nanoparticles and a hundred tons per month for silver colloid.
Among the company's products is selenium disulfide nanoparticles which is produced in colloidal form and used in the shampoo industry. Unlike the common powder samples on the market, the colloidal form and nanometer dimensions of this product have significantly increased its effectiveness. This feature has reduced the amount of this substance used in the production line by one-fifth.
The use of selenium disulfide nanoparticles in shampoos creates anti-dandruff and anti-itch properties in the hair.
Iranian Scientist, Colleagues Develop Zinc-Air Battery for Clean Energy Storage
Iranian scientist Saeed Askari, in cooperation with his colleagues, developed a solution that could transform the future of clean energy storage after developing a record-breaking zinc-air battery by using heat-treated 3D materials and atomic-level cobalt doping.
The Melbourne-based Monash University research team introduced a new catalyst that promises to enhance next-gen batteries with greater power, extended lifespan, and reduced costs.
They revealed that the innovation outperforms standard commercial catalysts made from expensive metals like platinum and ruthenium.
Askari, a PhD student at the university, along with Parama Banerjee, PhD, a senior lecturer in the department ofchemical and biological engineering, who led the research, reportedly used heat treatment to turn 3D material into ultra-thin carbon-sheets.
“By engineering cobalt and iron as individual atoms on a carbon framework, we achieved record-breaking performance in zinc-air batteries, showing what is possible when catalysts are designed with atomic precision,” Askari reported.
Iran-Made Nanocatalysts Bring Clean Air in Fall, Winter
The nanocatalytic converters, an advanced technology developed by Iranian knowledge-based companies, can reduce vehicle emissions by up to 90 percent in the cold season while reducing fuel consumption and increasing engine life.
One of the Iranian knowledge-based companies succeeded in achieving the technology to produce catalytic converters with Euro 5 emission standards by installing a coating production line for various types of automotive catalytic converters.
Different types of domestic car catalysts, cataboxes, thermal protectors, and providing various laboratory services are among the products and capabilities of this knowledge-based company, and its products are currently used in automotive factories.
Another knowledge-based industrial group has succeeded in producing nano-catalytic converters for domestic cars. These converters help reduce emissions by reducing the consumption of precious metals and increasing efficiency.
The catalytic converters produced by the company have received the Nano label from the National Standards Organization of Iran and Iran Nano and Mocro Technologies Innovation Council (INIC).
Iran to Send Knowledge-Based Pharmaceutical Firms to CPHI 2025 Expo in India
The Innovation and Prosperity Fund of Iran plans to send a trade and technology delegation, including the knowledge-based companies active in the pharmaceutical sector, to the CPHI 2025 India exhibition.
The Indian Pharmaceutical Industry Exhibition (CPHI & PMEC India) is one of the largest and most important exhibitions for the pharmaceutical industry in India and the Pacific region.
The exhibition covers different fields, including pharmaceutical raw materials and final formulations, pharmaceutica l machinery, laboratory equipment, testing and validation.
The CPHI 2025 exhibition will be held at the Delhi Exhibition and Convention Center on November 25 to 27, 2025.
Iran exports raw materials and pharmaceutical products to nearly 50 countries across the world, the Iran Food and Drug Administration (IFDA) announced in 2024.
Iranian Scientists Design Lightweight Nanofibre for Electromagnetic Protection
Iranian researchers at Isfahan University of Technology succeeded in producing a lightweight and flexible fabric made of metallic polyamide that enjoys electromagnetic interference protection and antibacterial properties.
The researchers succeeded in producing new nanotextiles made of metalized polyamide (nylon) that incorporate a unique combination of protective, thermal, and biological properties. This lightweight and flexible fabric was metalized using the ‘electroless nickel-phosphorus’ method and has been able to demonstrate remarkable performance in various fields.
The manufacturing process is designed in such a way that nickel-phosphorus layers are deposited on the surface of polyamide fibers at different times.
Iran Exports 20 Billion Dollars of Oil Products in 5 Months
A senior member of Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical exporters union (OPEX) announced that the country exported $20 billion worth of oil products in the five months to late August.
Hamid Hosseini noted that the number shows that the exports have decreased from nearly $47 billion reported in the previous calendar year.
He added that Iran expects a fall in annual oil export revenues in the calendar year to late March amid lower international oil prices.
Hosseini said that oil exports from the country are expected to reach $43 billion in the year to March 20.
He stated that the total oil and petroleum product exports from Iran had reached nearly $60 billion in the year to late March.
Hosseini said that Iran had exported $20 billion worth of oil and petroleum products in the five months to late August, down more than 16% from the same period last year.
He said the fall in oil export revenues this calendar year has been a result of lower oil prices in international markets, adding that Iran has sold oil at an average price of $63.5 per barrel in the April-August period, which he said is shy of an annual budget target of $68 per barrel.
He added that oil export volumes had also declined from records of 1.8 million barrels per day reported in the last calendar year and in the early months of the current calendar year.
Iranian Researchers Create Pulse-Like Flow with Microfluidic Chip
Iranian researchers from the Energy Conversion Group at Tarbiat Modarres University succeeded in creating a pulse-like flow similar to the heart's function by designing and manufacturing a microfluidic chip.
Reza Azadian Farsani, who conducted this research as part of his master's thesis, said that the technology, by accurately simulating the biological conditions of the body on a small scale, provides a powerful tool for studying cell behavior, disease modeling, drug screening, and tissue engineering. In this research, a microfluidic chip capable of producing a pulse-like flow similar to the heart was designed, simulated, and manufactured.
“The main goal of this research was to recreate hemodynamic forces and create a pulse-like flow with physiological conditions similar to the left ventricle of the human heart to study the development of heart cells,” he added.
Noting that the designed chip includes fluid and air flow paths, a cell culture chamber, and a precise control system that allows the generation of periodic deformations at a rate of 75 times per minute, Azadian Farsiani said, “A combination of experimental and simulation methods was used to evaluate the performance of the chip and analyze the mechanical forces acting on the cells. The static pressure generated in the chip was measured using a precision pressure sensor, and the strain and stresses acting on the membrane were analyzed using numerical simulation in COMSOL software. The membrane deformation was also modeled and investigated using the ideal gas relations and pressure measurements.”
“These analyses helped improve the design and performance of the chip and accurately recreated the natural conditions of the heart. The designed chip with the ability to recreate the hemodynamic conditions of the heart provides a powerful tool for studying the behavior of heart cells, engineering heart tissue, and developing new therapeutic methods, and can be an effective step in research related to cardiovascular diseases,” Azadian Farsiani said.
Iranian Firm Produces Nano-Based Medical Plaster with Physiotherapy Capability
An Iranian knowledge-based company has succeeded in producing a new type of medical plaster based on nanotechnology which is waterproof and hypoallergenic.
“Unlike old plasters, these plasters are waterproof, hypoallergenic and anti-itching, and the patient can see his/her skin during use,” said Parisa Ganjineh, the managing director of the company stationed at Pardis Science and Technology Park near Tehran.
“In case of occurrence of a problem, it is possible to report it to the doctor and the patient can even do physiotherapy while using the plaster,” she said, adding that the nanotechnology used in this product has improved its strength and properties.
Ganjineh referred to other advantages of the product, saying, “The patient can see his skin, scratch it and not experience the limitations of old plasters.”
Experts at a knowledge-based company in Iran had also earlier, in August, managed to make precious metal casting plaster needed by the jewelry industry.
“Our main field of activity is mineral binders such as gypsum and cement, mineral chemical industries, and mineral processing that are used in the construction industry,” said Ebrahim Najafi Kani, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
“We produce advanced chemical additives for the production of different gypsum and cement products,” he added.
Iranian Messenger Apps Able to Find Users in Persian-Speaking States
The Iranian messenger applications enjoy the opportunity to be present in the markets of countries which share language and religion with Iran, and the cultural, linguistic and religious similarities have paved the way for the acceptance of these platforms in the target communities.
“The globalization of native messengers, at least at the level of countries that have common interests with Iran or have a similar religion and language to the country, is another goal that can pave the way for the success of the Iranian platforms,” said Amin Sharifi, the managing director of Soroush Plus, an Iranian messenger app.
“Although, as in the previous issue, some question its feasibility, there are various grounds that make policymakers, entrepreneurs and the elite human resources of Iranian platforms hope to achieve this goal,” he added.
“Our messenger apps can be present in the countries that are neighboring and within the geographical boundaries of our region, which include North Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India. Also many Iranians who are abroad, even in the US, UK, and Europe, are very interested in using the Iranian platforms because of their families in Iran,” Sharifi said.
Iranian Company in Final Stages of Development of Home-Made Steam Turbine
A knowledge-based company in Iran has reached the final stages of development of an advanced indigenous steam turbine.
Relying on the Iranian experts’ capabilities and over two decades of experience in designing and manufacturing gas and steam turbines, MAPNA TOGA Company succeeded in bringing the project of developing technical knowledge and designing an indigenous dual-pressure steam turbine with a rated power of 180 MW MST-50/1801 to its final stages.
The turbine is designed based on the latest technology and in a combined cycle with an MGT-70 gas turbine will be able to increase the efficiency of the combined cycle of power plants by about 53%.
The product is a single-shell and dual-pressure steam turbine with a counter-flow and is designed with a pressure of 100 bar, a temperature of 555 degrees Celsius and a flow rate of 141.1 kg/s at the entrance to the steam turbine, and its rated power in the combined cycle configuration will be 178 MW.
Jafar Houshmand, the design and development manager of the product, said that over 95 percent of the engineering design phase of this turbine has been completed, and its procurement and manufacturing phases have also started.
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