Tehran, Iran, October 8
By Mehdi Sepahvand – Trend:
Although Iran’s ranking in scientific work in the field of nanotechnology is very high, the country’s use of the technology in industry is lagging way behind.
“Regarding the production of scientific papers in nanotechnology Iran is the fourth top country in the world. However, we have a long way before we find nanotechnology in a good position in Iran’s economy,” Hamzeh Ghojavand, a senior expert at the Presidential Department for Science and Technology told Trend October 8.
Ghojavand, who is an official with Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC), said the council has recently shifted its focus from pure scientific work to the industrial applications of nanotech in order to make some contribution to Iran’s economic growth.
“Nano companies have the potential to share a great deal of Iran’s economic progress. Therefore, we launched the Industry and Market Department in the INIC to make links with industries.”
“We have formed joint committees with ministries, such as Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Industries, Mine and Trade. We have also conducted talks with many bureaucratic and decision-making bodies in order to facilitate the permeation of nanotech into industries.”
According to Ghojavand, INIC has also launched a comprehensive database for technology exchange, where experts deduct the technological needs of industries and find solutions for them with nanotech companies.
The Iranian government has been attaching high significance to nanotech as a science based activity and a pillar of the country’s economic progress for the coming decades.
INIC chief Saeid Sarkar in 2016 said that Iran’s scientific ranking had improved to 6th by exceeding Japan and following China, US, India, S Korea and Germany.
The official had noted that there were over 28,000 nanotechnology experts in the country.