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:
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firms Make Cost-Effective Desulfurizers
Iranian knowledge-based companies succeeded in producing high-quality and cost-effective desulfurizers that not only remove sulfur but also prevent deposits from forming in sensitive oil equipment.
“Some of our company's products, like desulfurizers, are considered as one of our best products in a way that countries that used the US-made desulfurizers, such as Kuwait and Kazakhstan, are purchasing the Iranian products now,” said Ammar Khonsari, a researcher at a knowledge-based company.
He underlined the advantages of the Iran-made desulfurizers, and stated, “The most important competitive advantage of our desulfurizers is their lower price and higher quality compared to similar Chinese and Indian ones in a way that the Iraqi contracting companies that bought the US-made products before, are now purchasing our products.”
Noting that the Iran-made desulfurizers do not form sediments, Khonsari said, "We produced this sample for the Zagros Exploitation Company and for the first time we produced a desulfurization agent that prevents sediment formation on an industrial scale. One of the major problems of the Zagros Exploitation Company was sediment formation."
Iranian Knowledge-Based Companies Participate in Belarus Medical Exhibition 2025
The 30th International Belarus Medical Exhibition (Belarus Medica 2025), as the most important specialized gatherings in the health sector in Eastern Europe, was held in Minsk on April 15-18, with the Iranian knowledge-based firms in participation.
The pavilion of the Iranian knowledge-based companies was also set up at the Belarus International Medical Exhibition 2025 in Minsk with participation of nine knowledge-based companies active in the field of medicine and medical equipment.
This extensive presence was carried out with the support of the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy and in cooperation and planning of the Medical Equipment Research and Technology Fund.
The purpose of this presence is to develop export markets, introduce Iran's technological capabilities, and create a basis for international cooperation with countries in the Eurasian region, specially Belarus.
In this pavilion, the latest achievements of the Iranian knowledge-based companies in the fields of medical equipment, diagnostic tools, imaging devices, digital health technologies, and high-tech products were showcased.
Iranian Researchers Extract Silver, Lead from Industrial Waste
A research project by Iranian scientists at Amirkabir University of Technology recovered 57% of silver, 55% of lead and 18% of zinc from industrial waste in Zanjan province in Northwestern Iran.
Hossein Kamran Haqiqi was the researcher of this project, which was carried out by using the flotation process to extract lead and silver, along with acid leaching to recover zinc.
One of the results of this project was the production of lead concentrate with a grade of 100% and silver of 800 ppm, and the production of zinc concentrate with a grade of 18%.
The industrial wastes abandoned in Zanjan contained valuable metals, but low in grade, and their extraction was not cost-effective until now; therefore, such a project was implemented with the innovation of combining flotation and acid leaching as an environmentally-friendly and low-cost method.
Determining the standard and tonnage zones in the 7-million-ton depot, using conventional chemicals to reduce costs, and designing the initial plant with a return on investment of 2.22 years are the next steps in the project.
This project is a successful model of university-industry collaboration to resolve the environmental problems and create added value from seemingly worthless resources.
IW: Germany Could Lose 290 Billion Euros by US Tariffs
The German Economic Institute (IW) warned that the US tariffs could damage Germany's economic output by as much as 290 billion euros (330 billion U.S. dollars) over four years.
The report analyzes the potential fallout from the "reciprocal tariffs" announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on April 2, which would impose an additional 20 percent duty on imports from the European Union (EU), among other trading partners, citing large trade deficits.
According to the IW, Germany's direct losses from these measures could reach 200 billion euros, or 1.2 percent of GDP annually by 2028. With retaliatory responses factored in, total damages may rise to 290 billion euros.
The EU as a whole could face cumulative losses of up to 1.1 trillion euros by 2028, the report estimated.
"Donald Trump is instigating a global trade war that will hurt everyone," the IW warned, adding that despite a 90-day suspension of the tariffs, the resulting uncertainty has already severely impacted global investment planning.
Iran Ranks 12th in World in Gene Therapy
Secretary of the Health Biotechnology and Medical Technologies Headquarters of the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy Mostafa Qaneyee announced that the country ranks 12th among the world states in gene therapy and cell therapy.
“At present, we rank 12th in the world in terms of gene therapy and cell therapy products. Our goal is to become one of the top five countries in the world in this field by the end of the Seventh National Development Plan (2023-2027), and we expect that out of the 14 centers identified in the field of gene therapy, three products each will be introduced into the industry or treatment phase by the end of the program,” Qaneyee said.
“We predict that Iran will become a reference in the field of gene and cell therapy,” he added.
"At present, treatment with viruses has begun and patients have been selected, and this process has been successfully completed. In the field of cell therapy, a new company has been established and has also achieved some successes,” Qaneyee said.
Iranian Technologists Help Sustainable Development of Oil, Gas Value Chain
Iran, as the world's second largest gas holder and the third largest country in oil resources, enjoys golden opportunities for investment and one of the domestic technological companies is trying to pave the way for sustainable development of the value chain in this field by providing innovative solutions.
“Our specialized oil and gas company assesses and analyzes the structure of Iran’s oil and gas refining industry and the status of this part of the oil and gas value chain as the first layer of the oil and gas value chain and also the supplier of feedstock needed by the petrochemical industry,” said Mohammad Reza Faqid Vahdat, the business development manager of the company.
“We find investment opportunities in the oil and gas sector for the presence of investors in the value chain of this field. These consultations are provided both for investors present in the industry, including the holding companies, and for private investors,” he added.
Faqid Vahdat explained that four parameters are considered for any investment opportunity, one of which is the market issue, adding, “We find the best market for the products.”
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Produces 350,000 Liters of Plasma Annually
One of the active plasma refineries in Iran with a capacity to produce 300 to 350,000 liters of plasma belongs to the knowledge-based Plasma Medouk Zist company which meets part of the country's need to plasma-derived products.
“Our company owns the first plasma purification plant in the Middle East, and the company was established with the aim of producing plasma-derived products in the biotechnology industry,” said Bardia Farzamfar, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
“In fact, we are the first and only producer of plasma-derived products in Iran, and two years ago we processed nearly 100,000 liters of plasma, which covers about 25 percent of the country's needs,” he added.
Noting that albumin and IVIG (injectable immunoglobulin) account for about 85 to 90 percent of the economic value of plasma products, Farzamfar said, “These drugs are vital for patients with immunodeficiency, cancer, burns, and other critical conditions. Albumin and immunoglobulin (IVIG) produced by our company are extracted from blood plasma. Plasma-derived products are considered very strategic and vital medicines in the health structure, and millions of euros of the country's capital are spent every year on importing this product from industrialized countries.”
“Immunoglobin or IVIG is prescribed as a replacement therapy for plasma protein (IgG) in patients with deficiency or immunodeficiency who have reduced or lost the ability to produce antibodies,” he added.
Iranian Researchers Study Persian Gulf’s Oil, Gas Reservoirs
Iranian researchers at the University of Tehran discovered the importance of accurately assessing and predicting reservoirs in dolomitized carbonate formations while studying oil and gas reservoirs in the Persian Gulf.
In a recent study led by Hamzeh Mehrabi, a faculty member of the Faculty of Geology of the University of Tehran, in collaboration with Zahra Pouyafard and Mohammad Bahrevar, master’s degree graduates from the University of Tehran, and a professor from the University of Windsor, Canada, various models of dolomitization and its impact on the quality of oil and gas reservoirs in the Persian Gulf have been investigated.
“Dolomite is a type of sedimentary carbonate rock containing large amounts of the mineral dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2). One of the geological processes in parts of the Persian Gulf has been dolomitization, or the formation of dolomite rocks. This process has affected the reservoir quality of the Darian Formation in three oil/gas fields in the Persian Gulf. In this study, the dolomitization process in this formation was investigated by petrographic studies of core samples and thin sections with a cathodoluminescence microscope, carbon and oxygen isotopic analyses, and studies of the fluids involved,” Mehrabi said.
Elaborating on the dolomitization phenomenon, he stated, “In the hydrothermal dolomitization process, saddle dolomites are formed that fill fractures and cavities. Stylolite-related dolomitization occurs in the dominant mud facies and is concentrated as fine to medium-sized crystals with an opaque center and a clear margin, mainly along dissolution seams and stylolites. Bacterial dolomitization has been identified in algal facies, indicating a microbially mediated role in their formation.”
“This study shows that the dolomitization process specifically improves permeability, in a way that the highest reservoir quality is found in the dolomitized facies of the lower carbonate part of the Darian Formation,” Mehrabi said.
Iran-Made High-Precision Drones Used for Imaging, Mapping
An Iranian knowledge-based company active in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence has managed to produce smart drones capable of performing complex operations in the fields of security, relief and rescue, and urban development.
These drones, which have been produced at a low cost after 8 years of research and development, enjoy the capability to recognize faces, voices, 3D mapping with millimeter accuracy, carry cargo, and even transport injured people. The domestic models of these systems not only have higher security than foreign models, but also significantly reduce operating costs.
“The designed drones are capable of performing missions such as live imaging, precise positioning, real-time communication with operational teams, and simulation of dangerous environments in groups without the need for human control,” Amir Khayyami, the managing-director of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.
“These systems are at present sold to or provide services to government and military sectors and will revolutionize relief, surveillance, and security operations,” he added.
One of the unprecedented achievements of this project is the ability of drones to perform 3D mapping with millimeter accuracy. This capability has direct application in urban development projects, reconstruction of dilapidated structures, and even identification of infrastructure damage in critical areas,” Khayyami said.
Iran to Hold Renewable Energy Conference, Exhibition 2025 in May
The 9th International Renewable Energy Exhibition and Conference will be held in Tehran on May 24-25 with the support of the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy.
This international conference and exhibition will be held with the aim of assessing the challenges of financing renewable energy power plants and presenting solutions to facilitate it.
Over 40 Iranian and foreign speakers, including officials, experts and activists in this field, will attend the event and will discuss subjects like ‘review of government policies and programs in the development of renewable energy, ‘using domestic capacities and developing the knowledge-based renewable energy industry, ‘challenges of developing renewable power plants in industries’, ‘review of new investment models and new financing methods’ and review of the development trend of renewable energy technology and experiences of other countries in the world.
Also, on the sidelines of this two-day conference, domestic and foreign companies active in this field will present their products and services at an exhibition.
Iranian Specialists Attain Technology to Produce ESP Downhole Pump Drives
Iranian experts at a technological company achieved the technical know-how of manufacturing ESP downhole pump drives, which are used in the rehabilitation of half-life oil wells.
“The company's products are in the petrochemical and oil and gas fields, and we have made a product called ESP (electric submersible pumps) downhole pump drives,” said Sepahkar, the managing-director of the company.
Noting that these pumps are used at a depth of 3,000 meters to rehabilitate half-life wells, he said, "Hi-tech and special technologies are required to operate these types of wells, and these drives are used to operate them due to their high voltage and harsh environmental conditions, and our company's technologists have achieved the technical know-how to produce them.”
“Few manufacturers in the world have produced these systems, and they play an important role in rehabilitating and making wells more productive."
Iranian Students Manufacture Industrial Robots
A member of the artificial intelligence board at the Islamic Azad University’s Qazvin branch underlined the capabilities and readiness of Iranian students to produce fully industrial robots.
“There are companies which manufacture industrial robots for factories, and they have provided hardware to the Iranian student teams to work on the robots’ software and intelligent control systems to use artificial intelligence in the robots,” said Vahid Rostami.
He also referred to the various applications of service robots, and said, “These robots are usually used in systems that are dangerous to humans, including radioactive contaminated environments, paint spraying industries, and large warehouses.”
“For instance, robots can automatically pick and pack orders in online warehouses, a task that was previously done by a large number of human workers,” Rostami said.
Iran Aims to Use Satellite, Radar Images to Monitor Oil Pollution
A joint specialized meeting was held between the Iranian Space Research Institute and the Petroleum Industry Research Institute with the aim of developing scientific and technological cooperation.
The use of satellite and radar images (SAR) to monitor oil pollution, gas and oil transmission lines, and sensitive environmental areas, the use of air and space systems in exploration, surveillance, and monitoring services, and the possibility of using balloons and airships to cover border points and remote areas were among the subjects discussed in the meeting.
The development of data analysis algorithms, modeling, and the use of artificial intelligence in the field of energy, and joint cooperation in the use of laboratory and industrial infrastructure, specially in projects related to special fuels and new technologies, were other topics of discussion between the two sides in the joint meeting.
At the end of the meeting, the two sides emphasized the need to develop a joint roadmap, form a specialized working group, and launch pilot projects in agreed areas.
Iran-Made Nano-Based Floating Desalination Device Produces Water with Solar Energy
A technological team at Tarbiat Modarres University designed a nano-based floating desalination device that can turn salt water into drinkable water in 8 hours without the need for electrical energy.
“This floating desalination device can be placed on the surface of salt water in the sea or pond and produce drinkable water by using sunlight without the need for electrical energy,” said Mohammad Saber Sharifi, a member of team.
“This device can produce between one and two liters of fresh water in 8 hours, meeting the daily drinking water needs of an adult,” he added.
Sharifi noted that nanotechnology is used in the product, saying, “Photothermal materials were used in manufacturing this device, and when exposed to sunlight, it creates a thermal reaction, leading to evaporation of water and ultimately its desalination.”
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