TEHRAN – Iran and the Philippines discussed enhanced cooperation on nanotechnology in the agricultural sector in a virtual scientific symposium held on November 18-19.

Agriculture Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) affiliated with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) organized the event.

The symposium aimed to study and exchange information on agricultural nanotechnology, explore the role of public and private sectors in the agricultural nanotechnology fields, assess and expand Iran-Philippines cooperation in agricultural nanotechnology, and provide a platform to introduce SMEs and knowledge-based companies in the said field to potential investors.

During the two-day event, 29 researchers in the field of agricultural nanotechnology from research centers and universities in Iran and the Philippines presented the latest scientific achievements and findings in this field.

Nanotechnology development in Iran

Iran has been introduced as the 4th leading country in the world in the field of nanotechnology, publishing 11,546 scientific articles in 2020.

Iran ranked 43rd among the 100 most vibrant clusters of science and technology (S&T) worldwide. The country held a 6 percent share of the world’s total nanotechnology articles, according to StatNano's monthly evaluation accomplished in WoS databases.

Iran ranked 43rd among the 100 most vibrant clusters of science and technology (S&T) worldwide for the third consecutive year, according to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2020 report.

The country experienced a three-level improvement compared to 2019.

Sourena Sattari, vice president for science and technology, has said that Iran is playing the leading role in the region in the fields of fintech, ICT, stem cell, aerospace, and is unrivaled in artificial intelligence.

Iranian nanotechnology companies have increased sales by 100 percent over the Iranian calendar year 1398 (March 2019-March 2020), and it is predicted that their revenue will reach up to 80 trillion rials (nearly $1.9 billion at the official rate of 42,000 rials), Sattari announced.

Iran has created centers in six Asian countries for exporting nanotechnology products, including China, India, Indonesia, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq.

Nanotechnology’s trend of development is growing in Iran, as the number of nanoproducts and equipment developed in the previous [Iranian calendar] year (March 20) increased to 750, compared with 647 a year before.

Some 223 product manufacturing companies and 59 equipment manufacturing companies are active in the field of nanotechnology and by the end of last year, which developed a total of 750 products and equipment.

FB/MG