Mahdi Salehi

Nowadays, Biological sciences are recognized as transformational sciences in the coming century and many of the current achievements of mankind owe it to the development of these sciences. But the development of the biological sciences and their impact on human life requires a lot of ongoing financial support. Because of the development of a new product, such as a medicine, in addition to being too long, it requires a lot of investment. This indicates that the field of biological technologies is risky. As the financial arm of the biotechnology development council, Biotech Fund has tried to reduce the risk for the activities of biological companies and in many ways, tries to cover the costs of biological projects in Iran. Since its foundation, the fund has invested millions of dollars in biotechnology development. Biotech Fund has been able to play its part in the development of biotechnology in Iran through participation in various pharmaceutical projects, investment in private sector companies, low interest loans and financial and legal advice and services. The fund with planning and financing, is fully prepared to support the projects in the biotechnology field.

The Fund for the Support of Biotechnology Investments was founded in January 2012 as an independent and non-governmental legal entity under the approval of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution. The financial institution began its operation in 2015 with the participation of the Biotechnology Development Council and the three financial institutions active in contributing to the country's ecosystem of innovation. The main goal of the Biotech Fund is to provide financing for investment and participation in innovative projects, support innovative businesses, commercialization of innovative projects, participation in biotechnology projects, removal of barriers and problems facing companies in the direction of commercialization and Production of bio-based products and boosting the country's level in this field. During the time that the fund started its activities, various plans for the development and production of biological medicines, herbal medicines, the dairy starters, cosmetics and sanitary products, biotechnology equipment and various biomaterials have been supported by this fund.

The Fund for Biotechnology Investments in line with the development of Biotechnology in Iran, provides the following services to knowledge-based companies and activities in the field of bio-economy:

• Risky investments to implement high-risk and long-term projects

• Providing financial services tailored to the needs of individuals and legal entities through provision facilities, pre-purchase of technological products, participation in biotechnology projects, brokerage contracts and ...

• Supporting academic achievements to encourage research and development in the field of biotechnology

• Evaluation and feasibility of biotechnology projects through the valuation of technical knowledge, valuation of knowledge-based companies and the preparation of economic and technical justification plans

Mohsen Dehnavi

Greetings

When we observe the story of human progress in the past centuries, a trace of knowledge is always obvious. Man has passed centuries and human generations have lived on earth and are now gone and now it's our turn to be effective. The 21st century is undoubtedly heavily influenced by the field of biotechnology and maybe it can be true to say that we are in the century of biotechnology. Biotechnology has come to prevent anyone from being hungry, to overcome the cancer that is the emperor of diseases, to understand the nature better, and in a word, so that we can live better.

We have always tried in Iran so that people see the effects of biological technologies in their daily lives and we are committed to this path. Iran's pharmaceutical companies are undoubtedly at the highest levels of quality in the Middle East region and Iran is currently very active in the field of medicine at the international community. In many other fields such as agricultural biotechnology, equipment biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, environmental biotechnology and marine biotechnology, we are active in the field of research and also in the production of commercial products. In workgroup of production, commercialization and market in Biotechnology Development Council, we professionally pursue each of the fields above and are ready to engage and cooperate internationally in the field of research and business cooperation.

We are always ready for a constructive cooperation…

Mohsen Dehnavi

Production, commercialization and market group manager

One of the main tasks of the Biotechnology Development Council as a responsible biotechnology institution in Iran is the development of knowledge and commercialization. The production, commercialization and market group has taken serious steps towards the commercialization of biotechnology knowledge through the formation of specialized working groups in the medical, agricultural, industrial, equipment, marine, food, environmental, health, advanced medicines and veterinary fields.
The missions of this group are as follows

• Coordination, supervision and guidance of the working groups of the production, commercialization and market group
• Collaboration with the working groups in organizing the meeting of biotechnology companies by introducing knowledge-based biotechnology companies in the country
• Promotion of technology in existing industries and the creation of new knowledge-based industries through the guidance and support of innovation centers, guidance and support for the creation of private sector accelerators by domestic enterprises and advance and supervision on the mechanism of national biotechnology plans to achieve the country's major goals

The ongoing activities are summarized as follows:

∘ Development and application of biotechnology methods and techniques in the field of breeding, animal feed additives and hormones

∘ Organizing expert consultations with the presence of knowledge-based biotechnology companies in the fields of breeding, animal feed additives and hormones

∘ Development of Diagnostic kits and vaccines for livestock, poultry and aquaculture in cooperation with the vaccine working group

∘ A comprehensive study of the state of veterinary biotechnology in Iran and the world

∘ Production of 3 human vaccines and 9 animal vaccines in cooperation with the Veterinary working group

∘ The prospect of the production of vaccines for animals, poultry and aquaculture until 2025

∘ Future studies on human vaccine production and research

∘ Explaining the needs of the country to vaccines and adapting to the foresight in order to develop a package of human vaccine research and development

∘ Promotion of the use of vaccines in the society

∘ Promoting technology in existing industries and creating new knowledge-based industries: For this purpose, the program has been set up with 20 major food industries in the country in order to achieve a quantitative and qualitative improvement by applying biotechnology.

∘ Promotion of science, technology and entrepreneurship: The main program is to hold workshops and advisory meetings for companies and professionals in order to understand the applications of biotechnology in the food industry.

∘ Development of food products using biotechnology: Investigating acceleration models and setting up a food industry accelerator with the help of the private sector.

∘ Development of applied technologies: developing haloculture systems technology and water recycling technologies as an example

∘ Implementing and monitoring related projects: Such as biofuels to reduce greenhouse gases from waste disposal sites, to provide models and bio-based solutions for the problem of the wastewater of alcohol factories and reuse of agricultural drainage

∘ Conducting research and promotional projects: Such as studies on the impact of oak forests decaying in Zagros, database of cultivations and biomass of haloculture plants and production of promotional content related to environmental issues

∘ Completion and finalization of the rankings of biotechnology equipment companies and studying the country’s market and biotechnology industry to identify the needs of the industry

∘ Study to form a special accelerator in the fields of designing and manufacturing biotechnological equipment

∘ thorough examination of the technical and economic data associated with the new generation of advanced equipment

∘ Review legal solutions and present implementation model regarding the export of biotechnology products

∘ Developing market infrastructure for knowledge-based products: In this regard, the network of healthy products has been planned and launched with more than 30 companies active in the field of agriculture. Also, a single electronic window plan is being implemented to facilitate and clarify the process of issuing permits for production and consumption of agricultural inputs.

∘ Strategic technology development: The main program of Agriculture workgroup is integrative farm management. The standardization of agricultural inputs, quantitative pathology of the production, distribution and consumption chain, design and establishment of an agricultural inputs export company, and promotion of the use of bio-inputs are all in the process of doing so.

∘ Agricultural biotechnology development: This work is being done in two areas of transgenic plants and tissue culture products. Modeling the use of transgenic plants in the farm, reviewing and modifying related laws and holding workshops for the strengthening of knowledge-based companies in the field of genetically modified plants are underway to develop the market for transgenic plants. In the field of development of the market for tissue culture plants, the preparation of an instruction form for the import and export of tissue culture products, establishment of a healthy and original seedlings bank of gardens and the formulation of a standard production instruction in tissue culture units are examples of ongoing activities.

∘ Developing a roadmap for the development of marine biotechnology and supporting the effective plans in the marine biotechnology field

∘ Creating an accelerator in the production of cosmetic products or producing byproducts from waste of shrimp and fish processing factories

∘ Forming a committee on cosmetics and food additives with marine origin

∘ Promoting technology in existing industries and creating new knowledge-based industries: In this regard, two medical biotechnology accelerators in the cities of Tabriz and Shiraz and an electronic health accelerator in Tehran are under construction.

∘ Developing strategic technologies tailored to the needs of the country: To this end, the country's pharmaceutical priorities have been formulated and provincial meetings are being held. Also proper follow - up procedures for the registration of biotechnological drugs in Iran is ongoing.

∘ Developing the market for biotechnology products: Planning and carrying out purposeful and integrated measures have been made to expand the export of manufactured products to the target markets. Formation of a specialized committee to develop diagnostic kits and lab services is also on the agenda.

Several meetings have been held to identify the capacities and development of industrial biotechnology in Iran, and certain programs have been developed. The most important plans of the Industrial Biotechnology working Group this year are as follows:

∘ Follow-up of the production of biomaterials: The development of industrial strains, production of feed additives for livestock, poultry and aquatic animals, production of bioethanol to replace MBTE and some other chemicals are on the agenda.

∘ Algae development in Iran: Developing a market model for algae and their products through the development of a road map is ongoing.

∘ Formation of the Systems Biology committee: Studying and determining the interests of other areas from systems biology approach and carrying out the necessary planning for the formation of the committee is underway.

∘ Promotional programs: It aims at holding private related workshops and specialized workshops for systems biology and to follow up the curricular of biology in schools and universities

4

Hamidreza Tahoori

Every food, medicine or commodity we use now has a scientific and scholarly backing and the universities usually play a big role in this path. The advanced modern world of mankind is totally owed to the development of knowledge and fundamental sciences. The level of human welfare and development has been influenced by the extent of the development of science and knowledge. Companies that are active in the field of advanced sciences have the most value for research and development. The importance of research and ultimately its application is undeniable, and this has led to the formation of third and fourth generation universities.

We in Research, Infrastructure and Technology Group have always focused on this and have drawn up coherent programs to strengthen research in the corporate environment and universities. One of the most important work is to divide the national biotechnology work in order to adapt various research fields in biotechnology in the country with the regional and local capacities and facilities, which ultimately can form the path of knowledge management in the field of biotechnology. On the other hand, human resources, which is the main actor of a research process, must be considered. For this reason, various programs have been developed to promote and support research fields. Student exchange between universities inside and outside the country, support for research related to the division of national work and Supporting top researchers and improving research facilities in the country are examples of ongoing activities. There are many scholars in various fields around the world nowadays that in many cases, international collaboration and engagement can remove existing problems for the researchers.

We believe science must move in the orbit of the earth and benefit all the people of the world from the benefits of developing science and knowledge. We are ready to play our part in this regard ...

In the course of development of biotechnology knowledge to commercialization of manufactured products, the first link of the chain is the research, study and development units. This explains the importance of knowledge management and research. In the Research, Infrastructure and Technology Workgroup, it has always been attempted to plan in the context of current research in the field of biotechnology in the country and the division of national biotechnology work has been done in this regard. It has also been attempted to utilize the existing infrastructure in the country in line with research by employing efficient management. In fact, our main effort was to provide the necessary support for the creation of research and technology infrastructure in the key strategic areas.

the main activities of Research, Infrastructure and Technology group are as follows:

• Implementing the division of national biotechnology work: In order to orient and manage the country's research and by relying on regional capacities in the form of an agreement with 30 universities in the country
• Supporting the research and studies in the form of a division of national biotechnology work: Funding and encouragement in four areas of doctoral dissertation, articles, research projects and study opportunities
• Organizing regional meetings: Developing and promoting the division of national work in order to improve the implementation of the plan
• Selection and support of top researchers and research centers: Selection of the best biotechnology researcher in the country in order to promote purposeful research in the field of biotechnology and introducing top research centers within the country

Amin Hassani

Greetings

It is clear to anyone that today the largest companies in the world are entirely dependent on their human resources. Governmental organizations and agencies also need a strong framework of human resources so that they can place the most deserving people in each part of their organizational structure. Promotion and Human resources Workgroup of Biotechnology Development Council has been founded with the aim of promoting biotechnology and developing human infrastructures in the field of biotechnology. The improvement and development of each sector requires the development of a variety of infrastructures and powerful human resources is the main infrastructure. In this regard, we have always tried to put Identifying and developing human-based biotechnological capabilities in our agenda while focusing on the scientific communities within the country. Many programs at the top universities in the country are currently being tracked and implemented regularly. These programs focus on introducing students in engineering majors to interdisciplinary areas of biotechnology, explaining the real industry issues for students, holding events, conducting problem-oriented competitions, conducting conferences about biotechnology field and finally leading students to the fields of biological sciences. In fact, we have always attempted to explain biotechnology and its related issues in the form of a suitable platform with the active participation of students of the country and we do the necessary planning by taking into account the short, medium and long term goals.

We are interested in developing effective and constructive international interactions in order to develop human abilities and utilize the various experiences in the world.

Amin Hassani

Human capital, education and promotion group manager

The importance of human resources in advancing the goals set by organizations is undeniable. At a strategic look, the importance of promotion, education and development of human resources will be more evident. Many organizations and successful companies find human resources department as their most powerful organizational unit. In a nationwide and macro view level, a coherent program must be defined for the development of efficient human resource infrastructures. For this reason, the Promotion and Human Resources Group has been formed at the Biotechnology Development Council.

In order to promote, educate and develop human resources abilities in the field of biotechnology, the human capital, education and promotion group has been carrying out the following activities in three operational phases:

Phase One: promotion of biotechnology and increasing awareness of different levels of society

• Guiding and supporting the development of biotechnology in the field of education: Producing educational content tailored to students, conducting promotional events such as workshops and conferences tailored to the student's environment, conducting the implementation of the national biotechnology system by defining biotechnology pioneer student centers and annual holding of the National Biotechnology Student Festival
• Promote biotechnology by supporting specialists, faculty members and students: Annual holding of at least 5 national and international biotechnological events in the fields with priority and organizing biotechnology entrepreneurship events for Students
• Promotion of biotechnology through increased public awareness: Producing various programs in Iranian broadcasting and television and Informing people of the activities of the biotechnology council fields

Phase Two: Guiding and supporting biotechnology education

• Planning for the evolution of biotechnology education: Collaboration with the Department of Education and Research of the Ministry of Education to improve the textbooks of Biological Sciences and Biology

Phase Three: Monitoring and assessing the state of human resources in the biotechnology in the country and supporting employment in this field

• Monitoring and assessing the state of human resources in the biotechnology in the country: Modifying and completing the human resources database related to biotechnology in the country and collaboration with Elite National Foundation to align plans with the division of national biotechnology work

Fereydoun Sadeghi

Small businesses today play a significant role in a developed economy. The reason is, these companies act better than large companies because of agility, especially in research and development. That is why many of the big companies act like a business accelerator and build small businesses within themselves to improve their research and development processes. On the other hand, entrepreneurship, which is the result of innovation, is the main solution to unemployment in many countries in the world. Through a long term program, The Vice Presidency for Science and Technology in Iran has managed to form an innovation ecosystem based on knowledge-based companies, resulting in the boldness of Iranian academic graduates to develop products based on their expertise. Biotechnology has not been an exception, and 500 small and medium-sized companies are active in this field in the country. In the evaluation and monitoring group of Biotechnology Development Council, we are looking for optimization of processes and feedback to improve structural problems in order to improve the process of supporting the ecosystem. Any event that leaves a positive effect is the result of a chain of activities. Evaluation and monitoring is one of the key components of this chain and our best efforts have been made to do this.

The importance of evaluating and monitoring can be seen from a variety of perspectives. But the most important effect of monitoring and evaluation will be seen in a strategic look. Nowadays strategic planning should be flexible and it depends entirely on how the monitoring and evaluation of the feedbacks affect planning. Best planning is not on the right path if it goes without monitoring and evaluation.

In the path of biotechnology development in the country, the full recognition of the orientations and trends of the world's science and technology developments and the determination of its position on the international level is inevitable and requires constant evaluation. Assessments that take place at specific times help to monitor the status of biotechnology in different periods and evaluate the impacts of policies and programs.

Monitoring and Evaluation Group has undertaken the following activities:

• Evaluation, assessing and monitoring the biotechnology situation in line with the needs of the macro-biotechnology development program: Performance evaluation based on the Biotechnology Development Document, assessment of biotechnology acceleration and innovation centers, Designing an Ecosystem Assessment Model for Biotechnology with Emphasis on Startups in Selected Provinces and evaluation of Policies and Programs of the Biotechnology Development Council
• Drafting regulations, duties, guidelines and rules required for biotechnology and necessary follow-up: Regulatory activities and the formulation of 13 style sheets such as outsourcing manuals, protocols and agreements
• Preparing and reporting on the performance of the Biotechnology Development Council: Preparation of seasonal and annual performance reports and preparation of reports for relevant institutions
• Monitoring, Performance Evaluation and Empowerment of the Staff of the Biotechnology Development Council: Holding workshops to enhance staff skills and Observing the performance of staff of the Biotechnology Development Council

Behzad Sorkhi

Iran is a wealthy country through fossil fuel and gas reserves but natural scientists and policy makers in the field of agricultural and biological production consider the abundant and unique genetic reserves of plants, aquatic animals, animals, microorganisms and invertebrates as the wealth and capital of this vast land as one of the world's wealthiest countries (Megadiverse) based on genetic reserves and this is a fact that has been neglected for many years. Genetic resources are the components of life and biological systems that are one of the most important and key reservoirs of each country. The economic value of genetic reserves is very vital and even more important than other reserves in the country. Today, with the progress of science and technology in exploiting them, these resources have become more valuable than mineral deposits such as oil and gold. So that:

• Genetic reserves are the basis of all biological products, including agriculture, food, medicine, and many life and industrial and chemical products and the success of increasing these products is based on the exploitation of these resources.
• Any kind of impoverishment and food security, and consequently development and economic, social and political security, requires the sustainable use of these basic resources.
• These reserves play an important role in the structure and refinement of environmental cycles, such as air, water and agriculture soil production cycle, whose value from this perspective is priceless for human beings.
• Given the global climate change and the fragile and critical perspective of the water and soil resources in the country, genetic resources are the key to increase the productivity of these basic agricultural and environmental resources.
• Therefore, the conservation, preservation and sustainable exploitation of these resources, which will guarantee the life of this country in the present and future, and its transfer to future generations, is one of the most important national tasks of all of us.

The development of biotechnology in the world has led to the importance of genetic reserves as the engine of this field. Considering the great importance of this issue, a specialized group has been formed in the Biotechnology Development Council to lead this. The Biobank and Genetic Resources Working Group with the goal of national planning and coordination between the genetic reserves and active biobanks of the country and in order to prevent parallel work, increase interaction, cooperation, consultation and providing appropriate solutions to existing problems and planning to improve quality and quantity of the services of gene-banks and bio-banks of the country. Currently, the network of gene banks is active in the fields of herbs, livestock and poultry, fisheries and aquaculture, microorganisms, invertebrates, animals, humans and tissues.

The tasks of this working group are as follows

• Formation of the country's biobanks through the review of the status of genetic reserves databases, biobanks and work collections in the field of genetic resources, entering identification information to the country's biobank network and defining and trial implementation of the national network regulation
• Establishment of the National Reserve Biobank by monitoring the existing status of the country's biobanks and compiling a national program on how to store backup for biological samples
• Supporting the country's biobanks in the form of presenting and integrating the database of samples of biobanks

Behnam Abedi

The importance of the subject of livestock in not a secret to anyone. In today's world, meat has a huge share in our food, and one of the components of sustainable food security is the development of livestock industry. The realization of sustainable livestock in every part of the world depends on various components. Today, livestock health has become a priority in animal husbandry, with three approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The lack of animal health and the spread of diseases also endangers the health of humans. Animal vaccines play a very strong role in this field. Iran is in a favorable position in the fight against livestock diseases and has achieved self-sufficiency in the production of many animal vaccines. The livestock industry is undoubtedly a strategic industry which deals with many tensions. Animal health and livestock food are two of the most important factors that face many technological challenges. The importance and role of biotechnology in these two issues has become very rich. Research institutes, private companies and many academic researchers have focused their work on the application of biotechnology and its techniques in the livestock industry, whose impact has been fully demonstrated. The lives of people in Iran have long been tied up with animal husbandry and today, large industrial farms are operating in Iran. We intend to identify the challenges of the livestock industry in the Veterinary workgroup of the Biotechnology Development Council and, with inspiration from biotechnology, find sustainable solutions to the problems ahead…

Considering the importance of the sustainable development of the livestock industry in the country, through coordination and division of national labor, the Veterinary Working Group at the Biotechnology Development Council has been responsible for providing bio-based solutions to the challenges faced by the livestock industry. With a good understanding of the current situation in the country and numerous expert meetings, a coherent program has been developed to fulfill the quantitative and qualitative goals of the country, and we are already implementing them.

The ongoing activities are summarized as follows:

∘ Development and application of biotechnology methods and techniques in the field of breeding, animal feed additives and hormones

∘ Organizing expert consultations with the presence of knowledge-based biotechnology companies in the fields of breeding, animal feed additives and hormones

∘ Development of Diagnostic kits and vaccines for livestock, poultry and aquaculture in cooperation with the vaccine working group

∘ A comprehensive study of the state of veterinary biotechnology in Iran and the world

Hossein Rastegar

In addition to researchers and the private sector, the development of healthy pharmaceutical and food products in Iran, is due to the proper construction within the country. In fact, with the development of the health industry inside the country, precise studies have been done to facilitate matters in various fields. The Health Workgroup of Biotechnology Development Council has played a significant role in this regard. The Health Workgroup of Biotechnology Development Council has been formed to provide process solutions for the development of health products. The Health Workgroup has, in fact, tried to resolve existing bureaucratic nodes by investigating the challenges and problems facing the relevant industries and providing appropriate solutions. We believe that to develop a product, in addition to human resources and financing, a proper ground must be provided.

The government as a public sector in a society has always been responsible for facilitating and monitoring business processes. But in cases of inadequate planning, they will become a deterrent for the development of businesses. For this reason, these bureaucratic processes must be constantly reviewed and continuous corrections should be made. The Health Workgroup of Biotechnology Development Council has claimed responsibility for improving the business environment and research and biological development.

programs of Health Workgroup are as follows:

• ways to optimize certificates and symbols of quality and health for the export of a number of biotech index products

• Practical solutions for the removal of bureaucratic obstacles and accelerate the entry into the market and the export of a number of bio-based products produced by knowledge-based companies

• Reviewing the challenges and solutions for facilitating and providing special services for entry into the market and exporting healthy and high quality food products made by biological technologies

• Reviewing the challenges and solutions for facilitating and providing special services for the entry into the market of new cosmetic and sanitary products derived from biological technologies and providing new technologies with economic value in the field of cosmetic industry

Hooman Kaghazian

The health of the community is very important in every country. People in a society are the driving force of the economic progress of the country, and a country without public health cannot achieve its goals. On the other hand, society's lack of health will cost the governments a lot of money. Perhaps vaccines can be called the savior of humanity. Vaccines have helped governments through disease prevention, like community health management tools and governments have made huge investments in vaccine development. Iran is the leading country in the field of vaccine in the Middle East. The Pasteur Institute of Iran, is one of the most advanced vaccine research institutes in the West Asia region. Specialist human capital, research infrastructures and large markets have contributed to the advancement of this field in Iran. Iran now produces and markets 70% of its needed vaccine, which shows the high capacity of Iran to compete internationally. This growing path in the field of human and animal vaccines is now specialized in its course through careful planning and the vaccine production plan is on the agenda of the private and public sector. The development of vaccines in Iran has been a successful model and we commit ourselves to work together and help others…

The Vaccine Working Group of Biotechnology Development Council is seeking to take advantage of the world's latest technologies to research and develop vaccines. A precise program has been drawn up to prepare vaccine priorities in Iran and the implementation of this program is in line with the cooperation with other sectors. Due to the knowledge needed to produce a vaccine, proper human resources management must be made in the country and the various components of capital, knowledge, infrastructure and human resources should be put together in a proper way. The previous achievements of Iran in the field of vaccine production have contributed to the realization of this issue.

The Vaccine working group plans are as follows:

∘ Production of 3 human vaccines and 9 animal vaccines in cooperation with the Veterinary working group

∘ The prospect of the production of vaccines for animals, poultry and aquaculture until 2025

∘ Future studies on human vaccine production and research

∘ Explaining the needs of the country to vaccines and adapting to the foresight in order to develop a package of human vaccine research and development

∘ Promotion of the use of vaccines in the society

Manouchehr Vosooghi

Many of the food products we consume are directly or indirectly related to biotechnology. In the past, human beings have used living organisms to meet their nutritional needs without being aware of it. Today, food products are also very popular, and people tend to consume them. On the other hand, today, the process of food production is a completely industrial process, and this is what makes technology more important. Considering that Iran is a large country, it is very important to develop the food industry and increase its productivity. For example, in the past years, probiotic products have been developed and now two successful companies are operating in the Iranian market and various human and livestock probiotics are produced and marketed. Industrial bread has also been an integral part of people's lives in Iran, which is strongly influenced by the development of biotechnology. The importance of this issue led to the establishment of the Food Industry Workgroup at the Biotechnology Development Council. Since the formation of this working group, we have tried to establish a constructive relationship with the private sector, and as planned, we have taken important steps towards establishing the introduction of biotechnology to the country's food industry. in this regard, we are interested in achieving the joint development of industries by sharing experiences.

From the formation of the Food Industry workgroup at the Biotechnology Development Council, through various expert meetings, planning was conducted to develop biotechnology in the food industry. The main focus of the working group is on the major companies in the current food industry in the country taking into account the right capacity of infrastructure and active presence in the market.

The workgroup’s working plans this year are as follows:

∘ Promoting technology in existing industries and creating new knowledge-based industries: For this purpose, the program has been set up with 20 major food industries in the country in order to achieve a quantitative and qualitative improvement by applying biotechnology.

∘ Promotion of science, technology and entrepreneurship: The main program is to hold workshops and advisory meetings for companies and professionals in order to understand the applications of biotechnology in the food industry.

∘ Development of food products using biotechnology: Investigating acceleration models and setting up a food industry accelerator with the help of the private sector.

Ali Mohammad Latifi

We live in an era of mankind history that human is the greatest enemy of his own. There was a time when humans thought that development should be done in any way, but now it has come to be understood that sustainable development is the key solution to humanity and mankind must take into account the environmental effects of any action they take. Biotechnology has come up with appropriate solutions in order to obtain proper answers to environmental issues. One of the greatest challenges today is supplying clean fuel that can be realized through biofuels. In the Environment working group of Biotechnology Development Council, the priority has been given to environmental issues within the country. Khuzestan province of Iran has many dust centers, which due to their size, innovative and sustainable solutions should be considered. Currently, models are being implemented at the dust centers through the integration of various knowledge and the use of biotechnology. The environmental problems of many countries in the world are considered to be the main cause of cancer in metropolitan areas of the world. We have been able to carry out good plans by active participation in the scientific scene of the country. On the other hand, due to the widespread environmental problems in the world, many other countries are also dealing with these issues. We are eager to collaborate on environmental projects and share capacity through collaborative communication…

In the Environment Working Group, we are looking to provide biotechnology-based solutions for environmental issues. Challenges such as industrial sewage, urban waste, dust and air pollution require a thorough technical and scientific planning at the national level. Considering the national approach, we have developed a constructive engagement with various institutions such as the Department of Environment and the Ministry of Water and Power to quickly respond to the challenges ahead. One of our strengths is the implementation of ideas, which over time will prove the potential of biotechnologies in the field of environment. Implementation of ideas is what new and growing fields in the world need for survival and development.

The following measures are on the agenda of the working group this year:

∘ Development of applied technologies: developing haloculture systems technology and water recycling technologies as an example

∘ Implementing and monitoring related projects: Such as biofuels to reduce greenhouse gases from waste disposal sites, to provide models and bio-based solutions for the problem of the wastewater of alcohol factories and reuse of agricultural drainage

∘ Conducting research and promotional projects: Such as studies on the impact of oak forests decaying in Zagros, database of cultivations and biomass of haloculture plants and production of promotional content related to environmental issues

Azadbakht

A variety of factors are influential in the development of each knowledge. The presence of expert human resources, proper investment and the provision of necessary infrastructure are all effective in achieving the goal. One of the main infrastructures in the development of biological sciences is the use of proper equipment and devices. If we consider the process of producing a drug from the beginning to the end, different equipment is used at all stages of the process. The importance of the subject becomes more evident when designing and manufacturing equipment in the world has become a very prosperous business, and the world's largest companies are overtaking each other. In the workgroup of Equipment in the Biotechnology Development Council, we have always tried to extract work priorities by following up and observing the scientific community of the world and by interacting with the private sector, we are moving toward designing and manufacturing these devices. Currently there are many companies active in this field in Iran. Each year the government also facilitates the development of the domestic market by organizing an exhibition of domestic achievements and financial support. Undoubtedly, biotechnology in Iran is growing in two aspects of quantity and quality. At the same time, with the growth, domestic infrastructure must also grow. Suitable arrangements have been made in this regard. The knowledge and experience in Iran are not far from the boundaries of science and technology, and this provides opportunities for international cooperation. In Iran, we are ready for professional and constructive engagements with governments, corporations and universities…

The development of equipment infrastructure requires the use of expert engineers in design and construction. Electrical, mechanical and chemistry Engineers have a great role to play in this field. Iran has a good human capacity in the engineering sector, and proper planning can put together the various components of this ecosystem and provide the ground for the development of highly advanced laboratory and industrial equipment. Nowadays, using the same engineering capability in Iran and by determining the priorities of the country, teams from the top universities of Iran such as Sharif University of Technology and University of Tehran are designing, developing and manufacturing biotechnological equipment. On the other hand, the Equipment working group has also aimed to export domestic products and is currently seeking to design a suitable model for inclusion in international markets.

The plans for this workgroup are presented below:

∘ Completion and finalization of the rankings of biotechnology equipment companies and studying the country’s market and biotechnology industry to identify the needs of the industry

∘ Study to form a special accelerator in the fields of designing and manufacturing biotechnological equipment

∘ thorough examination of the technical and economic data associated with the new generation of advanced equipment

∘ Review legal solutions and present implementation model regarding the export of biotechnology products

Mohammad Ali Malboobi

Agriculture has been synonymous with the word of life during the history of mankind. This is confirmed by every human being who has ever lived on this planet. The subject of agriculture is so important that all nations in the world have a great effort to become self-sufficient in this field. Though we must not forget that modern humankind faces many restrictions on agricultural development. This has led the human beings to the green revolution. Agricultural production has been widespread for many years in Iran, and various products are now cultivated in the country. The climate of Iran is such that proper management of planting and irrigation and the use of technologies that lead to sustainable agricultural development is inevitable in Iran's agricultural field. Iran is a country with a population of 80 million, which equates the importance of agricultural technologies. The use of biotechnology is the answer we have, to overcome the problems. In short-term and long-term plans, we are developing biotechnology’s basic and applied technologies in agriculture field. Through a careful analysis of the agricultural product chain, different measures are taking place for each ring of the chain. In this regard, we have always tried to help other countries in the world through the creation of international cooperation, in addition to the development of knowledge in Iran. We believe that access to water and healthy food is the right of every human being anywhere on this planet ...

Undoubtedly, the proper farming is one of the main elements of sustainable development in each country. Today, there are many discussions about how agricultural activities are conducted in the scientific societies and the world. Due to various reasons such as population growth, agricultural land constraints and agricultural water shortages, the importance of proper farming has increased. In such a situation, biotechnology can revolutionize agriculture. The Agriculture Workgroup of Biotechnology Development Council with management of biotechnology in successful agriculture has gained good achievements in the fields of bio-fertilizers, bio-inhibitors and tissue culture seedlings. The workgroup has also sought to complete the chain to expand and commercialize agricultural biotechnology products by launching a healthy food chain (Shams) as a suitable platform for connecting the food and agricultural product rings. In this workgroup, committees have also been established in the fields of tissue culture, transgenic plants, animal reproduction and vaccines for livestock, poultry and aquaculture for special management purposes.

The Agriculture workgroup of Biotechnology Development Council is currently working on the following programs:

∘ Developing market infrastructure for knowledge-based products: In this regard, the network of healthy products has been planned and launched with more than 30 companies active in the field of agriculture. Also, a single electronic window plan is being implemented to facilitate and clarify the process of issuing permits for production and consumption of agricultural inputs.

∘ Strategic technology development: The main program of Agriculture workgroup is integrative farm management. The standardization of agricultural inputs, quantitative pathology of the production, distribution and consumption chain, design and establishment of an agricultural inputs export company, and promotion of the use of bio-inputs are all in the process of doing so.

∘ Agricultural biotechnology development: This work is being done in two areas of transgenic plants and tissue culture products. Modeling the use of transgenic plants in the farm, reviewing and modifying related laws and holding workshops for the strengthening of knowledge-based companies in the field of genetically modified plants are underway to develop the market for transgenic plants. In the field of development of the market for tissue culture plants, the preparation of an instruction form for the import and export of tissue culture products, establishment of a healthy and original seedlings bank of gardens and the formulation of a standard production instruction in tissue culture units are examples of ongoing activities.

Mohammad Pourkazemi

About 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water, and this represents a huge capacity for use. On the other hand, biodiversity is unique in the waters, and with many centuries of human life on Earth, there are many hidden angles of the capacities available in the seas and oceans. Nowadays, much attention is paid to the sea and the ocean as a huge source of biodiversity. Countries that have coastal borders have specific plans for developing biological technologies for the economic exploitation of the capacity of the seas and oceans. Iran is connected to the Caspian Sea from the north and to the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea from the south. Iranian water capacities are being investigated through planning. We are currently exploring animal and plant ecosystems in the seas and coastal waters in Iran to exploit existing capacities. There are several projects in Iran in fields of fisheries and algae. The use of biological technologies can significantly improve efficiency of the systems. On the other hand, a suitable platform for interdisciplinary cooperation between domestic professionals is provided. Undoubtedly, the scientific community of the world considers the use of marine resources as one of the ways to achieve sustainable food security. Only paying attention to this issue alone, can indicate the importance of marine biotechnology. We are ready to collaborate through the sharing of expertise and capital…

Marine biotechnology is in fact the application of biological molecular methods for marine and fresh waters organisms. These organisms can be used for purposes such as food security, reproductive control of dangerous marine creatures and the development of new treatments. The growth and development of biotechnology related to this field requires the appropriate human and laboratory infrastructure and the establishment of legal support. One of the main benefits of developing marine biotechnology is its suitable employment due to the scalability of activities in this field. All these factors have increased the importance of this issue. For this reason, a coherent program has been set up and implemented by the Marine biotechnology working group in Biotechnology Development Council.

The following plans of the Marine biotechnology working group are as follows:

∘ Developing a roadmap for the development of marine biotechnology and supporting the effective plans in the marine biotechnology field

∘ Creating an accelerator in the production of cosmetic products or producing byproducts from waste of shrimp and fish processing factories

∘ Forming a committee on cosmetics and food additives with marine origin

Mahdi Jeddi Tehrani

Medical science has been heavily influenced by various technologies these days. New medical equipment, new methods of diagnosis and treatment, and new methods for drug design and production are some of the factors that have transformed medical science in the modern world. In many cases, these improvements have greatly reduced the cost of treatment. The transformation of the shape and nature of the health economy alone, convince policy makers to reconsider their decisions. Iran has been able to keep its health-care structure up to date, and it is now considered the best in the Middle East in the field of health. Medical biotechnology has grown well in Iran and Iran has had good performance in producing biosimilar drugs. Medical workgroup of the Biotechnology Development Council, with the planning and collaboration of the private sector, has completed many diverse projects in the field of medical biotechnology, and many of them have been commercialized. We intend to continue with more power, with detailed planning, engagement with the private sector and smart financial supply. There are very good experiences in Iran and we are very interested in sharing these experiences. We are also responsible to the world in addition to the people of Iran and we are ready to improve the health situation in any part of the world …

The general health of the community is a priority for any government. In dis regard, medical biotechnology is a major part of the global biotechnology market. A good plan has been made in Iran in the field of medical biotechnology for many years that has contributed to the growth of the private sector. Great companies in Iran are active in the field of agricultural biotechnology, some of which export their products. The Medical workgroup of the Biotechnology Development Council has been able to provide the right background for the development of medical biotechnology through close association with the medical industry and top academic researchers. One of the main programs of this working group is to help set up health accelerators.

The plans ahead of the Medical working group this year are as follows:

∘ Promoting technology in existing industries and creating new knowledge-based industries: In this regard, two medical biotechnology accelerators in the cities of Tabriz and Shiraz and an electronic health accelerator in Tehran are under construction.

∘ Developing strategic technologies tailored to the needs of the country: To this end, the country's pharmaceutical priorities have been formulated and provincial meetings are being held. Also proper follow - up procedures for the registration of biotechnological drugs in Iran is ongoing.

∘ Developing the market for biotechnology products: Planning and carrying out purposeful and integrated measures have been made to expand the export of manufactured products to the target markets. Formation of a specialized committee to develop diagnostic kits and lab services is also on the agenda.

Abbas Kebriaiezadeh

For a long time, humans have used various chemicals and herbs for the treatment of certain diseases, which the cause of their effectiveness may not had been known. Over time, with the advancement of science and the development of various chemical molecules with pharmaceutical applications, the pharmaceutical industry was formed in the world. An industry that humanity might owe its continuation of its existence on earth to it. According to global statistics, about 12,000 molecules have been produced and marketed for pharmaceutical use in the world. Iran has become a medicine hub in the Middle East region by producing 98 percent of its medicinal needs in the country and nowadays, has a coherent program for the development of advanced medicines in the country. In order to develop advanced medications, the Biotechnology Development Council decided to establish an Advanced Medicines working group, which began its activity in 2018. Advanced medicines are often used to treat high-grade diseases such as cancer and MS and have a high economic savings for the country. According to the plans of the Advanced Medicine workgroup of Biotechnology Development council, it has been decided to develop a comprehensive road map for the development of these medicines within Iran through a series of internal and external studies, and after the investigations, the necessary support to develop these medicines within the country is carried out. Considering the successful experience of Iran in the field of the production of new medicines, we believe that Iran will become one of the leading countries in the region in the field of production and commercialization of advanced medicines in the coming decades ...

Since the formation of the Advanced Medicine workgroup of the Biotechnology Development Council, prioritization of advanced medicines has been investigated. Prioritization of this category of medicines is very important. Because these medicines are commonly used in the treatment of certain diseases and have a very high production cost. This is why the proper selection of a medicine is very important. therefore, a comprehensive study of the present state of the country has been made. On the other hand, the development of these medicines requires the creation of appropriate infrastructure. The good working space, the proper equipment and the capital needed, along with the experience of a guideline team, should all be combined in one place to provide the appropriate platform for the research, development and production of this category of medicines. Creating a pharmaceutical development accelerator with the participation of the private sector is on the agenda.

The programs of the Advanced Medications workgroup are as follows:

• A Comprehensive Study of the research and development situation in the Innovative Pharmaceutical Companies of the World and the Identification of Pipelines and Prioritization of Diseases

• Preparing a roadmap for development of advanced medicines in Iran

• The formation of an advanced medicine field accelerator through recognition and persuasion of qualified pharmaceutical companies and planning to produce five advanced medicines inside

• Compilation of packages for facilitating the knowledge-based activities in the production of advanced medicines

Abbas Shojaosadat

One of the reasons for the growth of biotechnology in the world is its scalability. Studies show that the growth rate of industrial biotechnology is very high, and by 2030 it will have the largest market volume. There is now a serious competition between petroleum products and bio-based products, and biotechnology is undoubtedly the winner of this competition. The discussion of the added value from urban waste and agriculture is also v highly regarded, and the concept of biorefinery will cover a large part of this issue. Industrial biotechnology requires a very costly infrastructure. On the other hand, Iranian economy is dependent on oil. But in recent years there have been good plans for the development of other sectors in the country, which has reduced the share of crude oil exports from gross domestic product. Knowledge-based industries are growing rapidly in Iran. Industrial biotechnology is slowly finding its place in the Iranian economy. The Industrial Biotechnology Working Group has succeeded in getting the right communication with the scientific and academic sector. One of the main goals of the working group is to pursue the use of bioethanol in gasoline through negotiations with the Oil Ministry and the entry of bioethanol producing companies to the country. In the workgroup we focus on the production of bio-based materials and are ready to engage in any constructive cooperation.

Given the rapid growth of biotechnology-based industries in the world the necessity of passing petroleum materials to biofuels, a Coordinated Program is defined in the Industrial Biotechnology Workgroup. Breeding algae on a large scale is a clear indication of the development of bio-industries. Of course, it is important to note that the boundaries of different biotechnological fields are not easily separable, and planning should be done in a coordinated and consistent manner.

Several meetings have been held to identify the capacities and development of industrial biotechnology in Iran, and certain programs have been developed. The most important plans of the Industrial Biotechnology working Group this year are as follows:

∘ Follow-up of the production of biomaterials: The development of industrial strains, production of feed additives for livestock, poultry and aquatic animals, production of bioethanol to replace MBTE and some other chemicals are on the agenda.

∘ Algae development in Iran: Developing a market model for algae and their products through the development of a road map is ongoing.

∘ Formation of the Systems Biology committee: Studying and determining the interests of other areas from systems biology approach and carrying out the necessary planning for the formation of the committee is underway.

∘ Promotional programs: It aims at holding private related workshops and specialized workshops for systems biology and to follow up the curricular of biology in schools and universities

Abbas Najjari

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