TEHRAN - The headquarters for developing nanotechnology and microtechnology and the headquarters for developing traditional medicine and medicinal herbs held a meeting on Tuesday aimed to use nanotechnology for promoting herbal medicine.

Damoun Razmjouei, the secretary of the headquarters for developing traditional medicine and medicinal herbs, and Emad Ahmadvand, the secretary of the headquarters for developing nanotechnology and microtechnology attended the meeting, IRNA reported.

The two sides discussed ways to use the capacity of nanotechnology in manufacturing standardized products, increasing the efficiency of products, and developing knowledge-based products, especially herbal medicine.
Over the past Iranian year (March 2024 –March 2025), a total of 1,735 nanotechnology products received nanoscale certificates from the Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council and were commercialized by 201 companies.

The total sale of these products amounted to 973 trillion rials (some 700 million dollars) in the Iranian year 1403, indicating a 57 percent increase compared to a year earlier, and 72 percent in comparison to 200 trillion rials (some 140 million dollars) in the past four years. This growth is about 31 percent higher than the country’s average annual inflation rate.

The export of these nano-products constitutes 10 percent of the sales, about 183 million dollars.

The sales value of domestically-manufactured nano-tech products over the past year is estimated to be around 1.8 million dollars based on the average daily dollar exchange rate.

The three main industrial sectors, including transportation, civil engineering, and nanomaterials, had the highest share of the market, respectively.

More than a quarter of the country’s secondary market for nanotechnology products is related to the automotive and transportation sectors.

Iran’s achievements in nanotechnology are noteworthy. The country’s investment in nanotechnology research and development, as well as the increase in scientific publications and sales of nanotech products, proves Iran’s rise as a global leader in this field, producing and exporting products to different countries across the world.

Access to domestic resources, competitive prices compared to Western countries, and high production of raw nano-materials, nano-catalysts, and advanced equipment, as well as geographical proximity to target markets in neighboring countries, reduced transportation costs, and political and trade relations have made Iran a major manufacturer of nanotechnology products in the region and even some global markets.

Iran’s activities in nanotechnology began in 2001. Two years later, the headquarters for nanotechnology was established to promote knowledge in the field. The first national strategic plan, titled ‘future strategic document’, was developed in 2005, aimed to place Iran among the top 15 countries in the field, focusing on ongoing improvement of the country’s position to generate wealth and improve people’s quality of life.

Some 89.6 percent of Iranian nanotechnology products are exported to Asian countries, according to data released by the national headquarters for the development of nanotechnology.
Europe, Africa, America, and Australia are the next destinations with 6.8 percent, 2.5 percent, and 1 percent of imports, respectively.
According to a recent survey, 83.8 percent of people in the country tend to benefit from Iranian traditional medicine.

The survey's findings have confirmed people's positive attitude towards Persian traditional medicine. However, only 10 out of 83.8 percent use traditional medicine and supplements for the treatment of their illnesses.
According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), Iran ranks third in traditional medicine trials in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), highlighting the country’s status as one of the world’s pioneers in traditional and complementary medicine.

China and India rank first and second, respectively, the health ministry’s website reported.

The share of clinical trials in traditional and complementary medicine in Iran makes up about three percent of all clinical trials registered in the country, while just about 0.3 percent of the healthcare staff are experts in traditional and complementary medicine. The report shows the high capacity of Iranian researchers to move towards evidence-based medicine.

Persian traditional medicine strongly focuses on prioritizing health maintenance and disease prevention over treatment.

It is one of the most ancient forms of traditional medicine. It is grounded in the concept of four senses of humor: phlegm (Balgham), blood (Dam), yellow bile (Safra’), and black bile (Sauda’). The concept of the four senses of humor is based on the teachings of Rhazes and Avicenna in an elaborate medical system.

So far, about 30,000 plant species have been identified in the world, with Iran’s share of about 8,000 species which is more than the whole of species found in Europe.

Around 500 Persian medicine experts are providing health and medical treatment services across the country. More than 1,000 general practitioners who have passed the Persian medicine courses approved by the health ministry are also offering services.

Training Persian medicine experts has always been at the top of the Persian medicine office’s agenda. Therefore, different skill courses have been developed and held under the supervision of the health ministry.

HIGHLIGHT: Persian traditional medicine focuses on prioritizing health maintenance over treatment.