The second meeting of the Policy Council of Iran’s Annual AI Award (iAAA) was held on Monday, May 12, 2025, with a group of senior government officials, top executives in the technology and digital economy sector, and prominent figures of the country’s AI ecosystem, at the headquarters of Post Bank of Iran. This meeting was hosted by Dr. Behzad Shiri, CEO of Post Bank of Iran, and chaired by Dr. Reza Bagheri-Asl, Head of the Center for Digital Transformation and Information Technology of the country’s Plan and Budget Organization.
iAAA; a national effort to strengthen the knowledge-based economy through artificial intelligence
The iAAA Policy Council, as the strategic arm of this award, is tasked with directing the award’s policies and executive programs while paving the way for the sustainable development of AI applications in the country. The members of this council consist of representatives of key governmental, academic, industrial, and economic institutions who, through synergy, seek to institutionalize the role of AI in solving the country’s priority problems and enhancing national productivity.
At the start of this meeting, Dr. Behzad Shiri, while introducing the bank’s history of activity and its developmental, specialized, and supportive role in the country’s innovation and technology ecosystem, announced the group’s special support for the participants of the third edition of iAAA.
Then Jalil Askari, Secretary of the third edition of Iran’s Annual AI Award, presented a comprehensive report on the progress of the executive programs, the challenges identified, and the feedback received from previous editions. He also emphasized the importance of synergy between government agencies and institutions and the private sector in implementing this award more effectively.
Focus on integrated policymaking in the field of AI
Next, Dr. Reza Bagheri-Asl, as the meeting’s chair, raised the key axes of policymaking in the field of AI. While reviewing the latest global developments in digital policymaking, he emphasized the necessity of designing a national framework for AI development, aligned with the country’s local capacities and development priorities. Suggestions were also raised about strengthening the award’s interaction with executive agencies, investors, and the country’s innovation ecosystem.
Planning for the third meeting; another step toward national convergence
At the end of this meeting, at the invitation of Ms. Zahra Bakhtiari, it was decided that the third meeting of the Policy Council would be held at the premises of Iran Air (Islamic Republic of Iran Airlines) and hosted by this organization. The purpose of this hosting was stated to be expanding the presence of the country’s air transport industry on the path of leveraging new technologies, especially AI, in operational and managerial processes.
Based on the resolutions of this meeting, all final decisions, after approval by the iAAA award secretariat, will be published in the form of official announcements, and their executive results will be made public.
Members present at the second meeting of the iAAA Award Policy Council
- Dr. Reza Bagheri-Asl – Head of the Center for Digital Transformation and Information Technology, Plan and Budget Organization (Chair of the Council)
- Meysam Abedi – Deputy for Technology and Innovation, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology
- Behzad Shiri – CEO of Post Bank of Iran
- Akbar Ghanbarpour – Advisor to the Head of Pardis Technology Park
- Reza Hatami – Head of the Center for Managing Large-Scale Projects and Policymaking for Science, Technology, and the Knowledge-Based Economy
- Ali Hakim Javadi – Head of the Iran Computer Trade Organization
- Mojtaba Zare Mehrjardi – Deputy for Investment, Innovation and Prosperity Fund
- Jalil Askari – Secretary of the third edition of Iran’s Annual AI Award (iAAA)
- Iman Karimi – CEO of AIMedic
- Meysam Gholami – Head of the Research Institute of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace
- Zahra Bakhtiari – Public Relations Manager, Iran Air (Islamic Republic of Iran Airlines)
- Zeinab Barzegar – Secretary of the Specialized AI Working Group, Ministry of Health
- Ali Babaei – Director General of the Office for Business Development and Empowerment, Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade
- Ali Saneian – AI and Digital Economy Coordinator, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Mohammadhadi Zahedi – Chairman of the Board, Iranian Association for Artificial Intelligence
- Reza Ghiabi – Management Consultant and Economic Strategist
- Salman Hosseini Safa – CEO, Dana Investment (Dana Insurance)
- Leila Mohammadi – Head of the ICT Research Institute
