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 Firm Makes Portable Medical Diagnosis Device
Technologists at a knowledge-based company in Iran developed portable and smart medical diagnostic devices that pave the ground for complex biochemical, molecular, and pathology tests without the need for a laboratory expert.
“These devices are designed based on a microfluidic system and can be used without the need for a laboratory expert,” said Bahareh Mohammadi, a clinical biochemistry student at Shahid Beheshti University and a researcher at the knowledge-based company.
“The device for separating healthy sperm using the density gradient method with lab-on-a-disk processing is designed and used in the IVF process. This device is currently in the process of obtaining a license to enter the market,” she added.
Noting that the company’s latest product is a portable biochemical analyzer which is designed based on the lab-on-a-disk technology and is capable of performing all stages of biochemical tests from start to finish on a disk, Mohammadi said, “In this technology, a blood sample is placed on a disk and, due to the presence of reagents on it, the blood is first separated from the plasma, then combined with the reagents and the analyses are performed automatically.”
“The output of the device is a quantitative report with high accuracy and an error of less than five percent. This device is currently being tested in one of the laboratories and has had successful performance,” she noted.
Mohammadi also referred to the liquid handling device produced by the company, and said, “This device is designed to perform molecular and biochemical tests and is specially used for DNA extraction.”
Construction Industry with 114 Active Companies Pioneers in Iran’s Nanotechnology Market
The construction industry in Iran is growing at a remarkable pace, but not all sectors enjoy the same share of this growth and the civil engineering and construction sector with 114 active companies has been able to have the highest exports.
The civil engineering and construction sector, with 114 active companies, is the largest sector in terms of the number of companies active in the nano-based construction industry in Iran.
This high density has caused the sales volume in this sector to reach more than 100 thousand billion rials. Also, this sector has the highest export volume, which indicates the competitive advantage of this sector in the international markets.
Although the services sector is the second sector in terms of the number of companies with 61 active companies, its sales and export volume is very small.
The textile and clothing sector, with 44 active companies, is one of the most active industries in the nanotechnology field. The use of waterproof, stain-resistant, antibacterial and temperature-regulating nano-coatings in the production of modern fabrics has made the products of this field interesting.
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.
Iran to Unveil 28 New Technological Products at INOTEX 2025 Expo
The director-general of Pardis Technology Park for indigenization and investment announced that 28 new technological products will be unveiled at the at the second Pioneers Festival of the International Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INOTEX) 2025.
“Out of over 2,000 products that are registered for unveiling at the INOTEX Pioneers Festival, after technical reviews and several stages of judging, 28 products have been selected for unveiling at this festival,” said Ahmad Asgari
“Based on the assessments, 4 products in the fields of electronics and power, 5 products in the fields of chemistry and polymers, 3 products in the field of software, 2 products in the field of agriculture and food industry, 3 products in the field of medicine and medical equipment, and 11 products in the field of equipment and machinery will be unveiled at this festival,” he added.
“Innovation, novelty, and lack of domestic analogues, completion of the commercialization process, receipt of licenses and technical approvals, and failure to introduce the product or its upgraded version in exhibitions, festivals, and domestic and foreign media were among the indicators for selecting the top products at the INOTEX Pioneers Festival,” Asgari said.
Iranian Firm Makes Device for Nano-Polishing of Cylindrical Parts’ Surface
An Iranian company succeeded in designing a device for nano-polishing the surface of cylindrical parts that can improve their surface to an accuracy of less than 100 nanometers.
“In this process, using abrasive nanoparticles and special grinding and rotating mechanisms, we have designed a device that polishes and abrades parts and brings the final surface quality to less than 100 nanometers,” said Ali Khoshanjam, the managing director of the technological company.
“The device is used in advanced medical industries, specially in the production of medical prostheses like femoral heads and knee and hip implants, where higher surface quality leads to increased durability and longevity of these parts,” he added.
Noting that in addition to the medical field, this device is also used in the plastic molding industry and micrographic laboratory equipment, Khoshanjam said, “Using nanoparticles, we have produced an abrasive paste that polishes the surface of parts to a quality of less than 100 nanometers, while eliminating the need for expensive traditional tools for polishing parts with specific geometries.”
Iranian Inventor Makes Device to Fight Psyllid Pest
In a bid to fight against the psyllid pest (the constant nightmare of pistachio gardeners), an Iranian inventor has put an end to traditional and costly pesticide spraying methods with a new invention.
The smart psyllid pest control device not only completely eradicates the pistachio pest, but also, unlike chemical pesticides, causes no harm to beneficial insects and pollinators.
“This device uses solar energy to provide its energy and can work for up to 28 days after half an hour of sunlight,” Mostafa Shafiqzadeh, a student of Medical Engineering at Islamic Azad University’ Torbat-e Heydariyeh branch told ANA.
“The smart psyllid pest control device has been installed in the gardeners' pistachio orchards since early May, and about 15 to 20 of these devices are required per hectare,” he added.
Iranian Firm Manufactures 4 Nanometer Deposition Devices
An Iranian knowledge-based designed and produced four advanced nanometer layer deposition devices to help the surface engineering technologies.
These devices include a desktop thermal evaporation device (ideal for limited laboratory space), a desktop sputtering device (capable of depositing nanocomposites and solar devices), a combined pulsed laser and thermal evaporation system (fabrication of superconductors and magnetic materials), and a desktop carbon deposition device (improvement of microscopic imaging of insulating samples).
Reducing costs, providing after-sales services and internal technical support, modular design, and the ability to customize based on user needs are the advantages of these products.
The devices can be used in manufacturing sensors, solar cells, nanoelectronic devices, and advanced materials, supporting research in the fields of nano, materials engineering, and microelectronics.
Iranian Researcher, Colleagues Develop Lightweight Nanocomposites for Advanced Industrial Uses
An Iranian researcher at Wichita State University and his colleagues developed a new generation of lightweight, ultra-strong nanocomposites for advanced industrial applications by using helical carbon nanotubes, a major step in production of reliable materials for the aerospace, energy and medical device industries.
A team of researchers at Wichita State University (WSU), led by Davoud Asgari, an associate professor of mechanical engineering in the WSU College of Engineering and director of the Multipurpose Nanocomposites Laboratory, developed a new generation of nanocomposites for advanced industrial applications. The product has become an innovative type of nanocomposite that could be a milestone in the design of lightweight materials with high strength and durability for the aerospace, automotive, marine, wind energy, oil and gas, medical devices and other high-density technology industries.
Asgari described delamination and weak bonding between layers as a common challenge in traditional composites, and said, "But the helical structure of our nanotubes, within the resin matrix and between the reinforcing fibers, creates a kind of mechanical entanglement that strengthens the structure from within. The result will be stronger parts for airplanes, cars, and even protective equipment."
Unlike straight nanotubes, helical nanotubes are better locked into resin matrices due to their springy shape. Using controlled chemical treatments and proprietary processes, the WSU team was able to disperse these nanotubes uniformly into epoxy resins, improving properties such as tensile strength, fracture toughness, modulus, strain to failure and hardness, even at very low weight percentages.
Iran’s Exports of Knowledge-Based Products Reach 500 Million Dollars
An Iranian official announced that the volume of exports of knowledge-based products has reached 500 million dollars while the total volume of exports of knowledge-based companies stands at 2.5 billion dollars.
“There are over 10,100 active knowledge-based companies in Iran, many of which have a history of exports. These companies have produced over 17,000 knowledge-based products and employed nearly half a million specialists at various levels,” said Deputy Director for Development of Knowledge-Based Companies Department at the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy Touraj Amrayee.
“Nearly 600 companies in Iran's technology ecosystem have a history of foreign trade, and the volume of exports of knowledge-based products has reached half a billion dollars and the total volume of exports of knowledge-based companies has reached about 2.5 billion dollars,” he added.
“The total revenue of knowledge-based companies last year exceeded 18 billion dollars, and 109 knowledge-based companies are also listed on the Iranian Stock Exchange with a revenue of 7 billion dollars,” Amrayee said.
Amrayee had also announced in March that the knowledge-based firms will have a 7% share of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2028.
“The share of knowledge-based companies in Iran’s GDP will hit seven percent by 2028,” he said.
Iran’s Nat’l Brain Mapping Lab Enjoys Leading Role in Treating Brain Disorders
The National Brain Mapping Laboratory of Iran utilizes advanced technologies and innovative treatment methods and took big strides in diagnosing and treating brain disorders.
“This laboratory has been operating for over 10 years and has appropriate infrastructure in terms of both equipment and expert personnel. So far, extensive research has been conducted in areas related to cognitive and brain sciences, and this infrastructure is currently being used to provide services to the community,” said Mohammad Ali Oqabian, the head of the National Brain Mapping Laboratory.
“The goals of this laboratory include developing research activities in the field of cognitive neuroscience and technology through providing neuroimaging and neurostimulation services, providing specialized consultations in the field of data acquisition and processing of multimodal brain images, providing knowledge-based and up-to-date services in accordance with the latest research achievements, developing new brain mapping and neurostimulation technologies, and transforming advanced research achievements into applied services and expanding them in specialized centers,” he added.
Iranian Company Manufactures Electric Vehicle as Pioneer in Green Transportation
The Iranian company, Nebka, has managed to produce an electric vehicle named Skywell with an aim of promoting the green transportation.
“As the first electric vehicle manufacturer in Iran, Nebka presented its product under the Skywell brand to the market last year,” the company’s marketing and sales manager told ANA.
“The main goal of this company is to create a sustainable and clean future by producing electric and hybrid vehicles with the lowest level of pollution,” he added.
The managing and sales managed stated that Nebka's perspective is to lead the electric vehicle market in Iran in the coming years, adding, “Our goal is to launch 5,000 to 10,000 electric vehicles to the market, and we are pursuing this vision with collective efforts.”
Iran Manufactures 3D Printers with Cutting Edge Global Technology
The head of market development department at Asa Laser Sakht company said that the Iran-made 3D printers display the country’s capabilities at the cutting edge of global technology.
“We are active in production of 3D printers with advanced technologies like SLS, which is still the most advanced polymer printing method in the world,” Alireza Eskandari told ANA on the sidelines of the International Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INOTEX) 2025.
“We also produce industrial FTM machines and IMAX metal printers, which are similar to Markforged’s technology and have only been introduced in the world for 3-4 years. We have indigenized this IMAX machine over two years of research and development, and now we are producing high-quality parts with it.”
Noting that receiving the license to launch Iran’s first digital factory was also a big step by the company, Eskandari said, “Also, planning to establish specialized additive manufacturing centers in the oil and gas and aerospace industries demonstrates our determination to expand this technology.”
Iran’s Exports of Saffron Extract to Canada, South Korea Increases
The director of the extract production center at the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research said that Iran’s exports of saffron extract with high crocin to Canada and South Korea has increased.
“Samples of our produced extracts have been sent to Canada and South Korea and we have received good feedback from customers. For instance, saffron extract with crocin above 55% has been sent to Canada and with more than 40% to South Korea,” Mahboub Habibzadeh said.
“A variety of herbal extracts are produced in this center and are used for various applications, including human medicine, food industry, livestock and poultry, and cosmetics,” he added.
“Among the most widely used extracts in this center are thyme, eucalyptus, lemon balm, yarrow, and fennel. These extracts are specifically recommended for livestock and poultry and have antibiotic properties and immune system boosting properties,” Habibzadeh said.
Capital Cafe Event in INOTEX 2025 Hosts 30 Top Teams, 50 Investors
The ‘Capital Café’ event was held on the fourth day of the International Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INOTEX) 2025 with participation of 30 top technological teams and 50 Iranian and foreign investors.
The event was introduced as one of the main axes of the exhibition with the aim of facilitating capital attraction and creating strategic interactions between startups and industries.
“Representatives of 450 knowledge-based companies and large industries and 50 prominent investors from Iran and other world states participated in the exhibition,” said Sajjad Rajabi, the executive secretary of INOTEX 2025.
Noting that the Capital Cafe is not just an event but a bridge to transform ideas into wealth, he said, “These interactions will continue after the exhibition so that Iran’s innovation ecosystem witnesses an unprecedented leap.”
“The goal of this event is to create an opportunity for 30 top teams to present their plans to 50 investors in 4 days,” Rajabi said.
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