Identification of Industrial Investment Priorities in Iran with Emphasis on Value-Added Growth

The purpose of this paper is to identify the priorities of investment in manufacturing activities in Iran, which would lead to more value-added growth. To do it, the production function of 92 manufacturing activities of the country at the level of the four-digit ISIC code estimated by the data panel method in econometrics for the period 1996-2013. Then by calculating the elasticity of the production to the capital level in these industries and the effect of the capital changes on the value-added of them, the prioritizing has been done. The results show that industrial mining sectors and their downstream manufacturing activities in Iran would create more value-added via one unit investment than other manufacturing activities. These activities are important for the country, because they process the country's mineral products and convert them into more value-added products, and the findings of this paper emphasize the importance of the investing in these industries. Based on the results, it is recommended that investment should be targeted in industrial mining sectors and their downstream manufacturing activities.