Science and Innovations in Iran
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Science and Innovations in Iran Development, Progress, and Challenges E d it e d by Abd ol S. S oof i an d S e pe hr G ha z in oor y
SCIENCE AND INNOVATIONS IN IRAN Copyright Abdol S. Soofi and Sepehr Ghazinoory, 2013. S o f t c o v e r r e p r i n t o f t h e h a r d c o v e r 1 s t e d i t i o n 2 0 1 3 All rights reserved. First published in 2013 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN in the United States a division of St. Martin s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave and Macmillan are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. I S B N 9 7 8-1 - 3 4 9-4 4 0 3 3-7 I S B N 9 7 8-1 - 1 3 7-0 3 0 1 0-8 ( e B o o k ) D O I 1 0. 1 0 5 7 / 9 7 8 1 1 3 7 0 3 0 1 0 8 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress. A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library. Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd., Chennai, India. First edition: January 2013 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Abdol Soofi dedicates this book to the loving memory of his son, Rosteen, April 24, 1975 June 26, 1994 Sepehr Ghazinoory dedicates this book, with thanks for financial support, to the Center for International Research and Scientific Cooperation
If learning were suspended in the highest parts of heaven the Persians would attain it. attributed to the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) by Ibn Khadun in Al-Muqaddimah
Contents List of Tables and Figures E d i t o r s P r e fa c e F o r e w o r d Ho s s e i n Moh a m m a d i D o o s t d a r ix xi xiii 1 I nt ro duc t ion 1 Abdol S. Soofi and Sepehr Ghazinoory 2 The History of Science in Iran from a Physicist s Perspective 15 Reza Mansouri 3 From Developing a Higher Education System to Moving toward a Knowledge-Based Economy: A Short History of Three Decades of STI Policy in Iran 39 Mehdi Goodarzi and Soroush Ghazinoori 4 The National Innovation System of Iran: A Functional and I n s t it ut ion a l A n a ly si s 57 Abdol S. Soofi, Sepehr Ghazinoory, and Sanam Farnoodi 5 Information and Communication Technology: Between a Rock and a Hard Place of Domestic and International Pressures 87 Sepehr Ghazinoory and Reza Jamali 6 Nanotechnology: New Horizons, Approaches, a nd C h a l le n g e s 115 Fatemeh Salehi Yazdi and Mohammad Ali Bahreini Zarj 7 Biotechnology in Iran: A Study of the Structure and Functions of the Technology Innovation System 139 Tahereh Miremadi
viii Contents 8 Nuclear Technology: Progress in the Midst of Severe Sanctions 159 Behzad Soltani and Marzieh Shaverdi 9 I r a n s A e ro s p a c e Te c h nolo g y 185 Parviz Tarikhi, Mohammad Abbassi, and Maryam Ashrafi 10 The Automotive Industry: New Trends, Approaches, a nd C h a l le n g e s 217 Manochehr Manteghi 11 C onc lu sion 245 Sepehr Ghazinoory and Abdol S. Soofi List of Contributors 249 Name Index 251 Subject Index 255
Tables and Figures Tables 2.1 I nd ic ator s of E duc at ion a l- S c ie nt i fi c Development, 19 79 2 012 33 3.1 Key Indicators of Research and Technology Development in Iran, 2005 2009 48 3.2 Policy Documents on Science, Research, and Technology Formulated after the Revolution in Iran 51 4.1 Entrepreneurial Attitudes and Perceptions: S e le c t C ou nt r ie s 61 4.2 Participation of Individuals in Entrepreneurial Activity 64 4.3 E duc at ion St at i s t ic s 71 5.1 Trends of e-government in Government Agencies 101 5.2 Indicators of Communication and Information Technology Development in Iran 107 6.1 National Priorities in Nanotechnology 119 6.2 Technology-Market Services Corridor (TMSC) Services 124 6.3 Pilot Projects Run by the INIC and Their Current Status 131 7.1 Timetable of Major Events in the Course of SCRTIS Bu i ld i n g 151 8.1 Nuclear Technology Achievements in Iran 175 10.1 Iranian Automobile Firms and Their Output, 2010 226 Figures 1.1 Coordination Failures and Government Remediation 6 2.1 History of Science Institutes in Iran 22 4.1 Governance of Science, Technology, and Innovation in Iran 70
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Editors Preface O ver the last two decades, Iran has gone through a major industrial transformation in spite of abnormal obstacles in the path of the country s development. All indicators point to the industrial takeoff of the economy. However, little is known in the English-speaking world about these fundamental developments and the challenges the policy planners faced and continue to face in the development processes. This book is an attempt to fill this knowledge gap by critically examining, first, the Iranian government s science, technology, and industrial policies that support the industrialization and national defense of the country, and, second, by reviewing the innovation activities of Iranian enterprises. Specifically, the book will, for the first time, present in a single volume an overview of the organizations, policies, conduct, and performance of those government organizations that have the task of developing traditional as well as emerging technologies in the country. In short, the book is a collection of chapters that allows us to gain an understanding of the structure and dynamics of the science and technology policies of the Iranian government. Furthermore, the chapters will critically examine the major challenges that the country faces in developing traditional and emerging technologies. The Iranian government plays a pivotal role in development of technologies and the production of aggregate output in the country. With the state taking a prominent role in technological development in Iran, and toward the characteristic uniformity of the proposed chapters in the book, the editors invited a group of authors to contribute chapters related to a broad outline of the proposed book, and have the honor of having had their invitation accepted. Most of the authors are in a position of leadership in organizations devoted to the creation of knowledge bases in relevant technologies, and all of them have intimate knowledge
xii Editors Preface of the activities of the institutions and agencies with which they are associated. This volume is the product of the collective efforts of all of the contributors to this book. Accordingly, the views expressed in the following chapters are those of the authors of the chapters and not of the editors of the book. We are grateful to Ms. Evelyn Martens for her editorial assistance in reviewing the chapters.
Foreword T he important role that Iran is taking in international scientific cooperation and the pivotal role it is playing in learning, gaining experience, and contributing to two-way transfers of advanced science and technology between itself and the international community is not a phenomenon that is familiar to everyone. In order to establish a powerful, effective presence on this stage and achieve success in attaining this goal, all Iranian researchers, scientists, and managers as well as their international counterparts must be aware of each other s capabilities in science and technology. This awareness is a precondition for the expansion of the initiation of and the support of ongoing scientific and technical collaborations and interactions between Iranian researchers and their international colleagues. The Center for International Scientific Studies and Cooperation [CISSC] has been established to support scientific activities, promote the development of technology, and expand the relationship between Iranian universities and research centers on the one hand, and international scientific centers on the other. Accordingly, the Center, in order to create a suitable framework for promoting efficacy in the interactions between Iranian scholars and researchers and their international collaborators, provides financial assistance as well as technical and moral support to researchers and scholars in Iran. The present book aims to introduce the achievements of Iranian scientists, researchers, and industrialists who are active in the science and technology fields to the international community. By supporting this project, which is the result of a set of timely, insightful analyses concerning the latest scientific and technological developments in Iran that make up the chapters of the book, the Center believes it is promoting further research and development activities in Iran, and by doing so, it has implemented its mission in this regard. Hossein Mohammadi Doostdar Head, the Center for International Research and Scientific Cooperation