TEHRAN – Samad Hassanzadeh, head of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), said provincial chamber research centers must focus on “province-based” and “problem-based” studies to provide implementable solutions for business challenges.

Speaking at a consultative meeting with heads of provincial chamber research centers in Tehran, Hassanzadeh stressed that the main goal of research activity should be converting real business pain points into actionable policy recommendations.

“Chamber research centers can play a valuable role in supporting economic development and providing intellectual input to the government and policymakers,” he said.

He noted that President Masoud Pezeshkian has repeatedly emphasized the need for expert advice from the private sector and chambers, urging ministers and officials to use consultative approaches to address economic, environmental, industrial, and agricultural challenges.

Hassanzadeh said differences across provinces demand tailored research, and called on provincial chambers to provide advisory perspectives for government bodies based on region-specific studies. He pointed to ICCIMA’s quarterly Business Environment Monitoring Report, which identifies the main obstacles to business activity at national and provincial levels, broken down by company size. The findings, he said, serve as a key reference for policymakers and analysts.

He also cited other chamber-led reports such as the monthly Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) alongside parliamentary and central bank studies on investment security and industrial output, noting that these show Iran’s economy faces multiple structural challenges. “This reality doubles the importance of applied research in chamber centers,” he said, urging them to choose topics close to provincial markets, where business ecosystems are rooted.

Drawing on international experience, Hassanzadeh said per-capita output in large cities among OECD members averages 32 percent higher than in smaller regions, while productivity and labor force differences within countries are often striking. The World Bank, he added, has also adopted a more regional approach by separately assessing 40 cities across six EU countries in its “Business Readiness” report to highlight such disparities.

“Leading chambers worldwide have long adopted place-based and problem-oriented research with direct participation of businesses, universities, and local policymakers to enhance the impact of decision-making,” he said.

Hassanzadeh concluded by recommending that research centers select their study topics from real market issues identified by ICCIMA’s commissions, associations, and member companies.

EF/MA