Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari has inaugurated 57 tech-based projects to boost the role of the technology in industrial fields.
During an event held at the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology on Saturday, Sattari launched 17 nanotech and 41 tech-based industrial projects, the vice presidential office’s website reported.
He inaugurated several industrial units and workshops for the Industrialization Center for Applied Nanotechnology in Tehran.
The center was established in 2017 by Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council to commercialize scientific achievements and meet the tech needs of industries.
The launch is hoped to enable the center to accommodate more knowledge-based companies, giving them an opportunity to use better equipment, consultation and financial aid to flourish.
The third phase of a food industry innovation center was also launched in the capital. It is affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences and aims to support innovative student projects, commercialize research achievements and create job opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Alireza Zali, the university’s chancellor, said knowledge-based and tech companies at the innovation center are working on the production of supplement protein powders, food flavorants, pharmaceutical coloring agents, medical devices and applications, laboratory test kits, agricultural fertilizers and herbal scents.
During the event, the vice president unveiled products developed by tech teams, which featured in a small-scale exhibition.
Nano-fluids and drilling muds were among the other items introduced, which are estimated to be worth 200 billion rials ($781,000).
On the sidelines of the event, four agreements were signed between knowledge-based companies and industrial units producing dyes, resins, polymers and nano-powders. The deals are meant to pave the way for the use of modern technologies in conventional industries.
According to Sattari, 270 Iranian firms are currently active in nanotechnology and they have earned 80 trillion rials ($312.5 million) from exports since the beginning of the current fiscal year (March 2020), marking a 100% annual growth.
With the approval of 7,113 research documents, Iran ranked first in the Middle East and 18th in the world in nanotechnology by 2019, according to Elsevier’s Scopus, the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature.
The official believes that creating the proper environment for research, providing opportunities to advance nanotechnology and exchanging know-how with other leading nations are necessary for sustainable development.
Government Support
The latest major investment in the local development of nanotechnology was made by the state-backed Iran National Innovation Fund to boost the domestic production of health-protective items used for shielding against the novel coronavirus.
The fund poured 140 billion rials ($546,800) in nanotechnology with the help of Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council, which helped INIF forge contracts with eligible knowledge-based companies.
According to Mohammad Ali Bahreini, the head of Nano-Fund Department at the council, the contracts were for the production of N95 and N99 facemasks for the medical staff.
The money was also spent on enhancing machinery, especially electrospinning machines, used in the production of masks, he added.
Last year, Minister of Information and Communications Technologies Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi stressed the need to remove hurdles that currently impede the export of nanotech products made by Iranian firms.
According to the ICT minister, firms active in the field have made notable headways and nanotechnology can top all other industries, as it enhances efficiency by using a limited amount of resources.
Jahromi noted that nanotechnology can be of great help to the ICT sector, such that corrosion-resistant nanomaterials can be used in communication towers mounted in hot and humid regions.
“The supply of nanotech products, namely antibacterial textile, anti-fouling paint, anti-scratch and corrosion resistant coatings as well as anti-cancer drugs, are areas holding out export potential,” he added.
Successful Samples
One of the achievement of Iranian nanotech firms is the production of a wound healing gel made from crustaceans.
The gel, which is currently available in the domestic market and pharmacies under the commercial brand Nivasha, is a product of Isfahan-based Mirmah Company.
Developed by using nanotechnology and reinforced with substances taken from aquatic creatures, the medical product is able to repair open wounds, scars and pressure ulcer or bed sores, diabetic ulcer, herpes simplex, severe burns and infectious acnes much quicker than similar products.
Customers can purchase the product without a medical prescription.
Last year, a Qazvin Province-based company, named Ceramara, produced 80,000 square meters of titanium-coated decorative and flooring tiles using cutting-edge nanotechnology.
The company produced over 1,000 models of titanium-coated tiles and decorative objects using vapor deposition machines.
According to Farhad Ghaffari, a researcher at the company, the tiles are unique in that they do not gather dust, thanks to the titanium nano coating.
“This is also the case with other products that benefit from the nano coatings,” he added.
The titanium particles make the tiles shine and suitable for architectural decoration.
Ghaffari noted that the company is forging ties with foreign countries to increase exports and even establish manufacturing lines overseas.
According to the company's website, Ceramara.co.ir, all the items produced by the manufacturer, including tiles and decorative objects, are certified by Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council.
Nano Pishtaz Pars, another knowledge-based company based in Alborz Province, is also active in the sector and produces antibacterial and antimicrobial flooring tiles.
During the production process, the company treats tiles with antibacterial mineral particles that can curb the spread of bacterial contaminations.
The floorings are resistant to bacteria, germs, dirt and other unhealthy elements, and do not lose their properties even after being washed or scrubbed. These features make the tiles suitable for covering floors in hospitals and health centers.
With the antibacterial tiles, no chemical disinfectants or antibacterial sprays are needed to sterilize hospital floors.
