Iran Hosts Int’l Nano-Micro Symposium in Cooperation with 5 Technological Universities
The 4th International Nano-Micro Symposium, titled ‘Transformative Technologies: Five-Year Outlook’ ended earlier today.
The event aimed to explain the five-year outlook for transformative technologies and explore future research paths in emerging fields in cooperation with the Consortium of Five Technological Universities of Iran (UT5), the Iran Nano and Micro Technologies Innovation Council (INIC), the Iranian Smart Energy Network Scientific Association, and the Organization for the Development of International Scientific and Technological Cooperation.
This symposium featured four specialized sessions on smart sensors: integration of energy, processing, and intelligence in the future of autonomous sensors; neuromorphic computing: brain-inspired intelligence and new hardware architectures; bioelectronics: convergence of bio-electronics in precision medicine and novel treatments; and smart mobility: a connected and autonomous future in smart vehicles and robots.
Over the four days of the event, a number of 20 prominent speakers from universities and research centers in Iran and abroad presented their latest scientific and technological achievements.
Iran has made nanotechnology a priority in recent years, achieving remarkable success. The nanotechnology research website StatNano has ranked Iran as fourth in the world in nanotechnology publications.
Earlier reports in August said that Iran’s nanotechnology market has experienced significant and sustained growth over the past decade, and according to official figures, its average annual growth rate from 2013 to 2023 reached nearly 97%.
The average annual growth rate of 97% in the nano market means that the sales volume of nano-based products in Iran has doubled almost every year. This significant growth occurred while the largest jump was recorded in 2020 with a growth of 160%, and the growth in 2023 with 102%, exceeding the set targets (40%).
Despite the impact of factors like the increase in the exchange rate and inflation on the country’s economic indicators since 2017, Iran’s nanotechnology market has continued to enjoy sustained growth, and even the share of exports in this field reached 57,100 billion rials (Iranian currency) in 2023 (equivalent to 9.2% of the total market).
In addition to the product market, the nanotechnology equipment market has also grown significantly in recent years, specially in 2020, 2021, and 2023. As in 2023, after a period of decline, it experienced a growth of nearly 60%, and devices like ‘freeze dryers’ and ‘sputtering coating’ have been at the top of the best-selling equipment.
These statistics provide a clear picture of the dynamism, exports capacity, and upward trend of nanotechnology in Iran, which can be the basis for larger policymaking in the field of science, technology, and knowledge-based economy.
4155/v
