In part of his speech to the participants on Friday, the Iranian vice president said, “Transition from an economy based on labor force and resources to an economy based on technology and innovation is considered a suitable solution for many of our challenges.”
Dehghani explained science, technology, and innovation offer transformative solutions to some of the challenges, including climate change, air pollution, water shortage, energy security, and traffic jams in major cities, which hamper development in the southern countries.
He highlighted the role of digital economy, which accounts for 17 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) equal to 20 trillion dollars, in reversing the brain drain in the global south, and creating job opportunities for university graduates and professional human resources.
