Tehran – According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Technology and Innovation Report 2025, Iran is ranked by middle-income countries and ranks 72nd out of 166 countries.
The country’s rankings have been improved by one position compared to 2022.
UNCTAD categorizes 17 different technologies into frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data, 5G, 3D Printing, Robotics, Drone Technology, Solar Power, Enriched Solar Power, Biofuel, Biomass, Wind Power, Green Hydrogen, Power Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, Nanotechnology, and Edited by Jennier.
Technology and Innovation Report 2025: Comprehensive Artificial Intelligence for Development Investigates the complex artificial intelligence landscape aimed at helping decision makers promote comprehensive technological advancements with science, technology and innovation policies.
The report 2025 calls for AI that puts people first with global cooperation where every country has a say. The report identifies three key leverage points – infrastructure, data and skills – that provide a broader socioeconomic perspective on AI, while analysing requirements and policies to promote sustainable industrialization and innovation.
The 2025 frontier technology is ready to go, indicating that Iran’s highest ranking is in the R&D sub-index (35th in the world).
In the Finance Subindex, the country’s rankings improved from 62 in 2022 to 56 in 2025. With the establishment of information and communication technology in other sub-indexes, their rankings have decreased from 74 to 78 and 82, respectively, and 94 to 94 in 2025.
GII 2024: Iran is technology output, business refinement
According to the 2024 Global Innovation Index (GII) report, it ranks in the knowledge and technology outcomes of the Islamic Republic of Iran, improving business sophistication from 55 and 117 in 2023 to 49 and 110 in 2024, respectively.
Additionally, the country’s ranking in market refinement and infrastructure rose by two positions from 19 and 97 in 2023 to 17 and 95 in 2024.
However, Iran’s creative production, human research, rankings in capital, and institutions have fallen compared to 2023.
The Global Innovation Index is ranked as a world-leading economy according to its innovation capabilities.
This year’s report shows Iran ranks second among countries in the Central and South Asia region, and has not changed compared to the past two years.
India and Kazakhstan ranked first and third respectively.
Iran ranks fifth among 38 low-middle-income group economy, which improved compared to the 2023 ranking (6).
However, out of the 133 economies featured in GII 2024, the country’s ranking has dropped from 62 in 2023 to 64 this year.
Switzerland took first place in the GII 2024 report with a score of 67.5 for the 14th consecutive year, with Sweden and the US closely following in the second and third positions with scores of 64.5 and 62.4 respectively.
As mentioned in the 2024 edition, over the past four years (2020-2024), the statistical confidence interval for Iran’s rankings in GII 2024 is between ranks 56 and 80.
Iran performed better in innovation production (48) than in 2024’s innovation input (85).
The report, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), ranks Iran first by market capitalization and trademarks by Origin.
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