An Analysis of the Innovation Ecosystem for Human Vaccines in Iran

The innovation ecosystem states that innovation through interactive networks occurs at different levels. The network has a wide range of stakeholders that are complex in the innovation process as part of the innovation ecosystem. Considering the importance of the issue of prevention in the health sector and the importance of the role of biotechnology in this field, the aim of this study was to examine the innovation ecosystem of human vaccines in Iran. Participants and Methods: In this qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive research, while investigating the dimensions of the ecosystem of innovation in literature and its main characteristics, the status of the innovation ecosystem of human vaccines was investigated in Iran. This study was carried out through content analysis of the current documents and deep and semi-structured interviews with experts in this field. Subsequently, a description of the current state of the vaccine innovation ecosystem was presented. Findings: Most of the graduates did not have enough familiarity with the techniques needed to attend the industry. The existence of two major vaccine manufacturers, the Pasteur and Razi Institutes, were of important properties of ecosystems. The small number of service providers and existing service companies with knowledge-based organizations were of shortcomings. Shortcomings in the characteristics of stable and dynamic interaction in the innovation ecosystem of human vaccines in Iran were evident and the making policies to create or strengthen these characteristics was one of the important issues of Iran in this area. Despite the abundance of elements and actors in this field, the innovation ecosystem of vaccines in Iran has not yet been formulated in a structured way, and its creation and development requires the characteristics of the innovation ecosystem and the resolution of its challenges.