According to Titrsanat, in its recent meeting, the Association of Knowledge-Based Centers and National Elites, attended by Abouzar Shahpari, the head of the association, and Saeed Mohammadi, reviewed key strategies for the country’s scientific and economic development.

Shahpari, referring to the comprehensive efforts of this association in the field of Artificial Intelligence, announced that ongoing meetings are being held with the Ministry of Science to establish a research institute in collaboration with national elites, so that Iran can achieve a worthy scientific position and ranking in the world.

The head of the association, acknowledging the difficult economic conditions, stated: “In the current unstable economic conditions, a person who can live usefully is considered an economic elite.”

He added that one of the 20 specialized committees of this association is the Economic Committee, which has serious cooperation and joint projects with the Iranian Economists Association and various institutions.

Abouzar Shahpari identified the biggest challenge of the country’s knowledge-based companies as the lack of product development and weaknesses in networking and market-building, and stated that the association is determined to establish effective networking and marketing for these companies.

He announced the holding of a joint conference with the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development in the construction industry, attended by elites of this sector as well as mass-construction and industrial companies. In this conference, companies that made the greatest use of knowledge-based approaches and modern sciences were evaluated and honored, and the Silver Medal in the construction industry was awarded to them.

He further emphasized that artificial intelligence alone will not succeed and must be combined with human intelligence. He pointed to Iran’s remarkable progress in applying artificial intelligence in the construction industry and added that Iran is the third country in the world which, in cooperation with the Ministry of Urban Development and the Engineering Organization, has introduced AI technology into construction, including in the field of Building Information Modeling (BIM) engineering.

Shahpari, while expressing support for the export of knowledge-based products, spoke about the activities of the association’s Commerce Committee to facilitate the export of such goods, and emphasized that the criteria for identifying elites are not limited to education and academic degrees, but also include ability, skills, and social impact.

He added that being an elite is not limited to age, and alongside adult elites, children and teenagers are also recognized as elites. The association’s goal is to strengthen and develop elites in various fields so that they can actively participate in the country’s strategic decision-making and serve in appropriate positions.

He also announced that due to public distrust of the stock market and the problems caused by wrong decisions, the association has not engaged in stock market issues for the time being.

This meeting, with an emphasis on the importance of research development, strengthening the connection between elites and the government, and reinforcing knowledge-based infrastructures, is considered an important step toward achieving Iran’s scientific and economic goals in the coming years.