Twenty years ago, not even one out of a thousand people would have believed it if we had said that one day the Iranian youth would be able to manufacture centrifuges, would manage to enrich uranium, and would generate electricity out of uranium without having received any instruction from outside and by just relying on their general instruction and their innovative thought processes and endeavors. Well-educated specialists would have been the first to reject the claim. They would have said "it is impossible", "is it really possible to do such a thing?", "what a naïve idea!" The Iranian nation proved that it can do it. It is the same in all other fields, but nuclear energy has appeared as a manifestation. It has attracted global admiration. This nation has the talent and enthusiasm to do the same thing in all other fields. Our nation also has the courage to step in and do the same thing in other fields. That is something obvious, a self-evident reality. You have many other undeniable rights as well.
That is what I meant by innovation. Our youth, our nation, and our intellectuals, especially you teachers, must innovatively tread the path of innovation determined to foster innovation. God will assist you in this regard.
Leader's Address to Teachers in Shiraz - May 1, 2008
Despite sanctions, we have managed to make outstanding and lofty achievements in many areas. One example is production of knowledge. Another example is our achievements in the area of industry and technology.
We were and still are under sanctions in these areas. In the present time too, the doors of important and up-to-date scientific centers - which work on advanced and modern sciences - are closed to Iranian scientists and students. But we have managed to make progress in the nuclear area and in the area of nanotechnology, stem cells, defense industries, airplanes and missiles- to the despair of the enemy.
Leader’s Speech at the Shrine of Imam Ridha (a.s.) - Mar 21, 2014