Iranian Institutions Aim to Turn Health AI Into Products

Iran’s Information and Communication Technology Research Institute is seeking to help turn artificial intelligence solutions into usable healthcare products through collaboration with Tehran University of Medical Sciences and medical centers.

According to ISNA, Mohammad Hadi Bakaei, head of the institute’s Center for Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development, outlined the initiative at a problem-driven AI in healthcare event at Sina Hospital.

Bakaei said the center’s infrastructure, training programs, standards development activities, and testing capabilities could support the development and evaluation of healthcare AI. Over the past four years, he said, the center has built an ecosystem that includes expanding technical infrastructure and a marketplace platform offering data, services, and products.

The center has also held discussions with Tehran University of Medical Sciences on using its educational resources to support the university’s training priorities.

Starting With Clinical Needs

Bakaei described two approaches to evaluating AI solutions. Product-based evaluation examines an existing tool submitted for testing, certification, or an assessment report.

Problem-driven evaluation, by contrast, begins with an actual industry need—even when no product has yet been developed to address it. That need is translated into measurable benchmarks, and proposed solutions are then assessed against those criteria.

He said this approach can help healthcare providers obtain practical, evaluated solutions while encouraging collaboration, innovation, and commercialization.

The institute has established a specialized AI services evaluation laboratory, which Bakaei described as the country’s only reference laboratory for assessing such services. Its current authorization covers foundational AI services; expanding its scope to healthcare remains a goal requiring further cooperation.

About 140 Teams Registered

Bakaei said approximately 140 teams had registered for the event’s four competitions, even though public outreach had not yet begun. Participants represent universities and locations across Iran, including Qeshm, Tabriz, and Mashhad.

He expressed hope that formal publicity would attract additional participants and that the event would become an annual national initiative.

Previous problem-driven events have helped form specialized teams and connect skilled participants with employers, he said. Companies have also expressed interest in recruiting teams and developing their solutions into minimum viable products, followed by finished products.

Bakaei said cooperation among researchers, universities, healthcare providers, and technology companies could help move AI solutions beyond the development stage and into practical use in healthcare.

source: ISNA