Innovation House of Medicinal Plants in Isfahan Produces 400 Technological Products
“Among the latest events of the Innovation House of Medicinal Plants is the launch of the first specialized fab lab (or digital fabrication laboratory) for medicinal plants (laboratories for rapid manufacturing of innovative samples and its testing),” Kamran Safavi, the head of Innovation House of Medicinal Plants of the Islamic Azad University’s Isfahan Branch (Khorasgan), told ANA.
“Now, over 60 technological and knowledge-based units are stationed in the Innovation House of Medicinal Plants and they have produced 300 commercial products and over 100 formulated products so far,” he added.
“The establishment of a science and technology park or campus has also been included in our plans,” Safavi said.
"Iran ranks fourth in the world in production of science in the field of traditional medicine, and the remarkable achievement will improve in the coming years," Nafiseh Hosseini Yekta, the Director of the Health Ministry’s Persian medicine office, said.
There are 2,500 plant species with medicinal properties in Iran where hundreds of local companies and research centers cultivate, harvest, and process these plants to extract their essential oils and create novel medications from them, luring in international businesses which are seeking low-price, high-quality products.
Earlier, in 2023, a senior Iranian official underlined growing interest of the country’s companies in activities related to medicinal plant industry.
“Currently, over 800 different companies are active in the value chain of medicinal plants and natural products industry,” said Mehdi Seif Sahandi, Secretary of the Committee for the Development of Sciences and Technologies of Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine Department of the Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy.
He stressed interest and activities of elites in this industry, saying that the traditional herbal medicine industry with high added value can play a key role in the two fields of job creation and wealth production in the country.
Seif Sahandi added that the Committee for the Development of Sciences and Technologies of Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine is trying to increase the possibilities and services provided to the Iranian companies and groups for the development of the local and global market of medicinal plants.
“These efforts have heightened the interest and encouragement of more elites in working in the medicinal plants and natural products industry and have increased the share of this industry in the national GDP,” he noted.
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