Iran applying nanotechnology in growing number of industries

Secretary-General of the Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council (INIC) Saeed Sarkar appreciated Iran's advancements in nanotechnology, and announced that 8 industries in the country are making use of the nanotechnology to improve the quality of their products. "At present over 8 Iranian industries enjoy and use nanotechnology," Sarkar told FNA. "The industries in the fields of Agriculture, construction, nano materials, environment, water, hygiene and health, energy, automaking and textile are utilizing nanotechnology," he added. Sarkar also said that over 250 Iranian companies active in the Iranian market are using 150 nano-based technologies. Sarkar had last year announced that Iranian experts and scientists are able to produce 38 nanotechnology laboratory tools and equipment. "Iran produces 38 nanotechnology lab equipment domestically," Sarkar said in a meeting in the Northern city of Sari in September. Stressing Iran's huge growth in nanotechnology, he predicted that the country will soon witness a new wave of progress in the field of nanotechnology. Sarkar also said that different Iranian industries, including the country's auto-manufacturing companies, are making an increasing use of nanotechnology in their products. "Nanotechnology has been employed in 8 Iranian industries, including the car-manufacturing industry," Sarkar told FNA. The nanotechnology growth indicators for Iran have marked a high rise during the recent years as in the total number of the scientific publications, the country has just jumped up two ranks (at the beginning of 2012) to stand 10th in the world. Iran ranked 14th, in the same list, at the beginning of 2011.