According to a report published by the World Intellectual Property Organization of the UN (WIPO), Tehran was included in the list of 65 largest Science & Technology (S&T) clusters in the world as part of the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026.
Every year, the GII identifies and ranks the 100 leading innovation clusters on the planet. This index uses a bottom-up, data-driven approach that ignores administrative and political borders, identifying geographical areas with a high concentration of inventors, scientific authors, and venture capital (VC) activity. These clusters often cover multiple municipalities or subnational regions and sometimes extend across two or more countries.
To determine the list of 100 clusters, three key indicators are used: the location of inventors listed in patent applications filed under the WIPO Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT); the affiliations of authors of published scientific articles; and the location of companies receiving venture capital funding.
The GII 2026, themed 'Supporting Entrepreneurs at the Forefront of Science,' analyzes the process of transforming scientific breakthroughs into deep science startups and spin-offs. Most of the 100 innovation clusters are concentrated in three regions—the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, and North America—which together account for 89 of these clusters. Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania have the highest number of clusters (36), followed by Europe (30) and North America (23).
In addition to China and India, the top 100 includes clusters from six other middle-income economies: Brazil (1 cluster), Islamic Republic of Iran (1), Egypt (1), Malaysia (2), Mexico (1), and Turkey (1).
Tehran is the only cluster in Iran to make the top 100 innovation clusters in 2026. In 2026, Tehran registered 405 PCT applications, 58,732 scientific publications, and 107 venture capital deals. Its share in global PCT applications was 0.0 percent, its share in global scientific publications was 0.7 percent, and its share in global venture capital deals was 0.0 percent. These figures allowed it to rank 65th among innovation clusters and 88th in intensity, which is a decline compared to 63rd and 85th places, respectively, in 2025.
According to IRNA, the estimated population of the city's cluster is 7,852,733 people, the PCT application rate per capita is 52, and the number of scientific publications per capita is 7,497. The average number of preliminary venture capital deals per capita reaches approximately 14, and the overall intensity of innovation per capita is 0.097.
In terms of patent registration, medical technology led with a share of 19 percent, followed by computer technology, civil engineering, and pharmaceuticals. Among the leading publishing organizations in Tehran, the University of Tehran stands out with 5,232 articles, Islamic Azad University with 4,081 articles, and Iran University of Science and Technology with 3,725 articles. Most published works relate to engineering disciplines.
China and the United States maintain the lead in the number of innovation clusters for the fourth consecutive year. China increased its representation to 25 clusters (one more than last year), while the United States has 20 clusters (two fewer than the previous year).
In 2026, Germany topped the European economies with seven clusters in the top 100. The UK maintained four clusters, and France has two clusters in the list. India maintains four clusters, Japan has three, and South Korea also has three clusters in the top 100. Canada is also in the top 100 with three clusters.
This year, two new clusters entered the top 100: Riyadh (92nd place) in Saudi Arabia, entering the ranking for the first time, and Fuzhou (96th place) in China, returning after its last appearance in 2024.
The five largest 'GII innovation clusters' globally, defined by WIPO based on the analysis of international patent applications, scientific publications, and venture capital deals, include Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou, Tokyo-Yokohama, San Jose-San Francisco, Seoul, and Beijing.
In the recent StartupBlink Global Ranking 2026, Tehran's position improved by 20 places, rising to 348th place among the most innovative cities in the world. Tehran hosts 96 startups, accounting for 81 percent of the total startups in the country. The city has approximately one startup per 100,000 people. In 2025, the ecosystem demonstrated an annual growth rate of over 36 percent. Currently, the city ranks first in the strength of the startup ecosystem in Iran, maintaining this position since 2025. Regionally, Tehran ranks 11th in West Asia, moving up 2 positions from 2025.
According to Mehr news agency, citing Iran Innovation Zone, this success is attributed to the strengthening of innovation infrastructure and the development of interaction between various sectors operating in the knowledge-based economy. The StartupBlink report highlighted the role of Pardis Technology Park, the country's largest technology and innovation center, as one of the driving forces of Iran's knowledge-based economy. The park hosts hundreds of technology and knowledge companies, creating infrastructure for business development and providing a platform to enhance cooperation between startups, investors, large industries, and institutions.
Furthermore, through the annual International Exhibition of Innovation and Technology (INOTEX), Pardis Technology Park plays a key role in networking and bringing experts together in the innovation ecosystem. According to the report, thanks to the capabilities of Pardis Technology Parks, Iran's startup ecosystem ranks 95th globally.
Two other important elements contributing to the development of Iran's innovation ecosystem are the Innovation Fund and MCI (Hamrah Aval – Iran's first mobile operator) Ventures. Iran ranks 58th globally in the 'Corporate Interaction' indicator, which reflects effective interaction between large industrial enterprises and innovative and technological companies. FinTech, a leading industry in Iran, ranks 72nd globally and 5th in the Middle East, indicating the country's high potential in financial technology development. The Iranian FinTech sector comprises 23 startups, accounting for 19 percent of all startups in Iran.
In the 2026 Global Startup Ecosystem Index, Iran's startup ecosystem ranks 103rd globally, remaining unchanged from the previous year. The Iranian startup ecosystem ranks 10th in West Asia, stably holding this position since 2025. It follows Oman and surpasses Iraq. The country has 118 startups, accounting for one percent of all startups in the Middle East, or approximately one startup per 100,000 people. Over the past year, the ecosystem grew by 54.4 percent.
