"We should move towards other sectors that have more efficacy and productivity, including modern technologies and hi-tech sciences," President Rouhani said in a meeting with a group of economic activists and investors in Isfahan province in Central Iran.
He underlined that instead of investing in steel and other old industries, the country should shift its investments to modern technologies and new sciences, and said, "… we should step towards new technologies that are closer to the (advanced) world and reduce our problems."
President Rouhani reiterated Iran's advancements in medical fields, specially the country's expertise in bone marrow medicine, describing the field as one of the potential candidates for increased investments.
The Iranian president referred to the art and tourism sectors as other opportunities for investment, and said, "We should move towards such areas and channel our investments into such new fields."
In November, President Rouhani stressed the country's high potentials for becoming a reliable source of science in the world.
Addressing an open session of the Iranian parliament, President Rouhani said Iran is resolved to become a great scientific resource in the region first and then in the world.
In mid-October, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in a decree communicated the outlines of cultural and scientific policies to the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, and underlined the need for the strategic management of the challenges facing the cultural arena.
Ayatollah Khamenei reminded the council in his decree to keep a watchful eye on its main duties in such "key and fundamental areas as science production, lifestyle, education and research, public culture and cultural engineering".
The Supreme Leader reiterated that the council should prioritize full and swift execution of decisions and their follow-up until achieving the desired results.
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the council is also responsible for improving the quality and quantity of cultural products through proper policy-making.
"Serious pursuit into the country's progress and expediting Iran's scientific and technological movement is one of the top most priorities of the country with regard to which the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution plays a serious role," Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding, "The pace of the country's scientific growth should not witness even the slightest reduction on any pretext, rather it should speed up everyday and the council should play its role in supervising, improving and directing this momentum."
The Supreme Leader urged the council to deal more seriously with the issue of cultural engineering and renovation of Iran's educational and scientific system, including education and higher education as well as change in humanities.