TEHRAN –The second International Nanotechnology Olympiad (INO) is being held from October 17-18 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with participants from Iran.

Selected teams from Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Malaysia are also participating in the competition. 

Presented projects focus on global challenges facing nanotechnology applications in the development and production of new (alternative) energies including hydrogen fuel, wind energy, solar energy, nuclear energy, tidal energy, geothermal energy, and biomass energy.

The INO aims to provide a platform for young innovators and researchers to showcase their talents, collaborate with global experts, and address some of the world’s most pressing environmental and technological challenges.

The competition does not involve written exams, but presentation of research projects by teams, IRNA quoted Afshin Ramzi, head of the Iranian team, as saying.

The Iranian team comprises Nima Dehqan and Hamid-Reza Qorbani, students of Isfahan University of Technology, along with two supervisors, will present their projects in new energy. 

The promotion of scientific and technological interactions with related organizations in Malaysia is the most important peripheral goal of the event, Ramzi added.
Taiwan has announced readiness to host the third INO.

In 2018, the first INO was held from April 10 to 15 at Tehran’s Pardis Technology Park and nine teams from four foreign countries competed at the event.

The participants presented their solutions for the global challenges related to water and wastewater treatment, agriculture, food and packaging, alternative energies, drugs and medication, information and communication through nanotechnology.

Nine teams competed at the event, which promote commercializing ideas in the field of nanotechnology, Head of Research Center for Science and Technology in Medicine (RCSTIM) Saeed Sarkar announced during the ceremony. 

Spain, South Korea, Germany, Russia and some African and Latin American countries were the new target markets for RCSTIM.

Iran a global leader in nano-tech

Iran’s achievements in nanotechnology are noteworthy. The increase in scientific publications and sales of nano products proves Iran’s rise as a global leader in this field.

One of the industries that have experienced good growth in Iran in recent years is the nanotechnology industry, a subject area that has brought Iran to the impressive fourth place worldwide.

According to StatNano, a leading nanotechnology website, Iran has made great strides in the field of nanotechnology being ranked fourth in terms of nanotechnology publication.

This ranking proves the country’s remarkable scientific development.

The site considers the number of scientific articles to compare scientific progress in nanoscience, technology, and industry.

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce new structures, materials, and devices. The technology promises scientific advancement in many sectors such as medicine, consumer products, energy, materials, and manufacturing. Nanotechnology refers to engineered structures, devices, and systems.

In the past two decades, the world has observed a steady increase in the number of industries producing nano-based products and the number of countries promoting nanotechnology.

More importantly, the ratio of nanotechnology to nominal GDP has increased significantly, suggesting that the contribution of nanotechnology to World GDP has increased. Nanotechnology has also played a key role in the creation of new jobs, Press TV reported.

The nanotechnology sector is a prime example of success in Iran, an arena consisting of expert and program-oriented human resources with significant goals that shine like a jewel in the country’s innovation and technology ecosystem.

With the support of talented academicians and knowledge-based companies, the nanotechnology sector has indigenized many technologies to solve the country’s main challenges in various areas, including industry.

MT/MG