TEHRAN – A 12-member Iranian team of young technology experts has won nine medals, including two gold, three silver, and four bronze, at the 2026 BRICS Hi-Tech Future Skills Competition in Russia, securing the highest medal tally among participating teams.
Held in Yekaterinburg from November 9 to 13 under the theme “Hi-Tech: Skills of the Future,” the competition brought together more than 1,000 competitors, experts, technology companies, educational institutions, and industry representatives from around the world.
The international event aimed to promote technological cooperation among BRICS countries, strengthen industrial human resource capabilities, and advance the application of emerging technologies in production.
Abouzar Masoudi in chemical engineering and Kheibar Dashtian in polymer and petrochemical engineering won the gold medals. Amir-Hossein Hashemi and Shervin Rastegar in Robotization and automation of technological processes, as well as Ali Yousefi and Hossein Seyyed Mohseni in cybersecurity, received the bronze medals. Amir-Hossein Khaniki in machine learning and big data, Amir-Hossein Abdullahi and Arezo Sabri in the innovation sector, and AI-based applications secured the bronze medals, Mehr News Agency reported.
This year’s competition featured 49 professional disciplines, covering a wide range of fields including data mining and artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data processing, and the development of industrial algorithms, AI in Unmanned Systems (UAS), UAS operation, cybersecurity (protecting critical infrastructure, such as refineries and power plants against network-based attacks); robotics and drones (industrial robotics, aerial robotics, and the design of drone control systems for equipment monitoring); and smart manufacturing (process automation, additive manufacturing or 3D printing, and digital engineering).
It also provided a platform for exchanging technical expertise, developing professional skills, improving production processes, and identifying innovative solutions to industrial challenges.
Iranian delegation attends BRICS Tech Policy training program
In June, the first group of young Iranian professionals in the innovation sector participated in a BRICS training program titled ‘BRICS + Tech Policy Camp’, which was held in Beijing, China.
It is an international training program that focuses on science, technology park governance, and the expansion of cross-border innovation; the program targets participants from BRICS member states and other countries.
About 40 managers, policymakers, and experts in fields of science and technology from 10 countries, namely China, Iran, India, South Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, attended the training program.
Supported by the deputy science minister of innovation and technology, and UNESCO regional center for the Development of Science Parks and Technology Incubators, the Iranian delegation consists of young managers of science and technology parks, and young faculty members of the universities took part in the event.
The event served as a great platform to develop technological diplomacy, strengthen international interactions, and empower future managers in science, technology, and innovation sectors.
The delegation visited science and technology parks, innovation centers, accelerators, and leading technology clusters in China, and explore potential for the enhancement of scientific and technological collaborations.
The program included 10 specialized courses and multiple site visits, offering rich and well-structured content designed to enhance participants’ theoretical knowledge and practical skills, while fostering a platform for mutual learning, exchange, and collaborative development.
Themed ‘Entrepreneurship Inspires Youth Power, Innovation Leads BRICS Development’, the program aimed to enhance operational capabilities while fostering policy synergy and collaborative mechanisms, ultimately contributing the perspectives and experience of developing countries to the improvement of global sci-tech governance.
It was centered around science, technology, and innovation trends among BRICS member states, science and technology parks development, China’s innovation ecosystem, emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, commercialization of scientific and technological achievements, mechanisms for cooperation, and technology and resource sharing at the international level.
Iran proposes expanding joint scientific infrastructures
Hosting the 7th meeting of BRICS working groups on research infrastructures and mega-science projects, Iran proposed the development of joint scientific infrastructures.
The three-day event was held from December 8 to 10, 2025, at the Azadi Hotel in Tehran.
The first proposal was focused on boosting collaborative efforts in large-scale research projects. The country announced its readiness to cooperate with member states in large projects such as developing synchrotrons (particle accelerators) and expanding the Iranian National Observatory, IRNA reported.
The country’s second proposal was to join and connect Iran’s laboratory network to the BRICS laboratory networks to facilitate mutual access to advanced equipment and expertise.
Organized by the Center for Progress and Development Cooperation of the Presidency, serving as the national BRICS focal point for technology and innovation, in collaboration with the Organization for the Development of International Cooperation in Science and Technology, Tehran meeting brought together scientific delegations of BRICS member states including Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Russia, India and the UAE, IRNA reported.
The key focus areas of the Tehran meeting included advancing joint research cooperation among BRICS member states, supporting the development of mechanisms for defining and financing mega-science projects, and strengthening the role of research infrastructures as drivers of innovation, sustainable development, and science diplomacy.