INOTEX 2026 Unveils Five Special Technology Zones for Women

The announcement marks a strategic shift from general support to targeted empowerment for female innovators. According to the INOTEX 2026 News Center, the government is aligning its policies with the Seventh Development Plan to systematically remove barriers to women's professional growth in the technology sector.

Key strategic pillars outlined by the Vice Presidency include:

• Specialized Technology Zones: The Ministry of Science will soon implement five dedicated technology zones to streamline the growth trajectory of female-led tech cores.
• Leadership Targets: A formal goal has been set to increase the proportion of women managing knowledge-based companies from the current 12% to 25–30%.
• Bridging the STEM Gap: Targeted promotional programs for students aim to address the current 25% female representation in strategic fields such as electrical engineering, computer science, and artificial intelligence.
• Cultural and Ethical Integration: Rather than special privileges, the focus is on fostering equal opportunity and leveraging the "ethics of care" to drive more human-centric outcomes in AI development.

Dr. Behrouz Azar emphasized that while current welfare facilities largely target vulnerable demographics, the technology sector requires a fundamental shift in mindset and culture. By organizing specialized hackathons and defining targeted awards, the administration aims to incentivize female participation and ensure women's contributions are visibly integrated into the national innovation ecosystem.

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