TEHRAN – More than 1,100 technology professionals from 16 countries including Pakistan, Oman, Russia, Vietnam, Turkey, Tunisia, Iraq, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, India, Lebanon, Indonesia, Romania, Algeria, the Netherlands plus Iran are competing in the final round of the upcoming 2nd International Technology Olympiad, which opened in Tehran on Monday. Until October 30th.
Participants will compete in six different areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, programming, robotics, drones, and the Internet of Things (IOT). Each of these competitions is made up of multiple leagues covering different specialties within the field.
This year, more than 12,000 people from Iran and 65 countries participated in the International Technology Olympiad qualifiers, representing a doubling of the number of participants compared to the first International Technology Olympiad held last year. The 2024 Olympics attracted more than 6,300 participants from Iran and other countries.
Cybersecurity competitions aim to identify the brightest talents and creative minds in the field. This competition provides a unique opportunity for participants to assess their technical skills through engaging and exciting challenges.
The main goals are to strengthen data security, facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience, and strengthen cybersecurity preparedness against cyber threats.
In the first phase of the Cybersecurity Challenge, 1,898 Iranians and 110 foreign experts competed in three leagues: Software Capture the Flag (CTF) Attack and Defense, Hardware CTF, and Pwny Racing.
Programming sections include frontends, Python/Django, algorithms, and Golang League. A total of 4,882 Iranians and 728 people from various countries participated in the first phase.
The AI section covers the leagues of text processing, data processing, and image processing.
The IOT section focuses on issues such as smart system design, crisis management, and energy consumption optimization.
The robotics category includes light weight, heavyweight, and student leagues, while the drone category features a variety of competitions in different areas such as autonomous missions, group flight, and flight intelligence.
Iran ranks 72nd in technology and innovation
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 2025 Innovation Report, Iran is ranked as an upper middle income country, ranking 72nd out of 166 countries.
The country’s ranking improved by one place compared to 2022.
UNCTAD classifies 17 types of technologies as frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, big data, 5G, 3D printing, robotics, drone technology, solar power, concentrated solar power, biofuels, biogas and biomass, wind energy, green hydrogen, electric vehicles, nanotechnology, and gene editing.
The Technology and Innovation Report 2025: Inclusive Artificial Intelligence for Development explores the complex artificial intelligence landscape and aims to help decision makers design science, technology, and innovation policies that foster inclusive technological progress.
Report 2025 calls for an AI that puts humans first and is shaped through global cooperation where all countries have a voice. This report provides a broad socio-economic perspective on AI, identifying three key leveraging points: infrastructure, data, and skills, and analyzing requirements and policies to foster sustainable industrialization and innovation.
According to the Frontier Technology Readiness sub-index in 2025, Iran’s highest ranking is in the Research and Development sub-index (35th in the world).
In the financial sub-index, the country’s ranking improved from 62nd in 2022 to 56th in 2025. In other sub-indices, such as skills and information and communication technology establishment, the ranking dropped from 74th and 78th in 2022 to 82nd and 94th, respectively, in 2025.
MT/MG