Shahin Akhoundzadeh, Deputy for Research and Technology at the Ministry of Health, emphasized the necessity of preserving and strengthening the scientific system in wartime conditions during a brainstorming session with veterans of medical sciences research in the country. He stated: In such conditions, considering the capacities of the scientific system and the intensity of the war, various scenarios including scientific flourishing and stagnation are conceivable.
Growth of Iran's scientific productions in difficult conditions
Akhoundzadeh, referring to the status of the country's scientific productions, announced a 1.6% growth in research outputs in 2025. Although this growth is not high compared to countries like Turkey and Saudi Arabia, which have seen growth rates of 20% and 12.8% respectively. He emphasized that the most important goal in these conditions is to maintain active human resources in the country's research system.
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Necessity of reorganizing the research structure
The Deputy for Research and Technology at the Ministry of Health pointed to the necessity of reorganizing the country's research structure and stated: In the fifth and sixth development plans, emphasis was placed on the quantitative development of research infrastructures, which led to the establishment of 849 research centers in the country. However, there is now a need to reduce this number and reorganize them according to today's and future needs.
Akhoundzadeh explained that instead of quantitative development, attention should be paid to the existing centers and reorganize them according to new needs, especially in emerging fields like quantum and artificial intelligence.
He also mentioned that no new research centers will be established in the public sector, and the functions of existing centers must change. Centers that are not performing adequately should be reorganized to improve the research output of the country.
Akhoundzadeh pointed to the capacity of the private sector in developing research infrastructures, stating: Last year, 12 private research centers were approved, indicating attention to the effectiveness of research. This year, 1,460 impactful research projects have been implemented in the country, indicating a better status compared to previous years.
The Deputy for Research and Technology at the Ministry of Health also emphasized the importance of developing clinical research centers in hospitals, stating: These centers can play a significant role in advancing clinical research. Especially in Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, Baqiyatallah, and Sina, there are good research centers that need to be strengthened.
Akhoundzadeh also referred to the status of comprehensive laboratories and population studies, stating: These infrastructures currently need more attention and support. Last year, significant funds were allocated to strengthen the country's research infrastructures, and this year, the distribution of a significant budget for this area is underway.
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