TEHRAN – Iran will play host to a specialized standardization workshop for the member states of the Asian Network Forum (ANF) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 229.

The secretary of the headquarters for the Iran Nanotechnology Innovation Council, Emad Ahmadvand, proposed holding the workshop during the Forum on the sidelines of the 25th International Nanotechnology Exhibition and Conference, known as Nano Tech 2026, held in Tokyo, Japan.

The main objective of the workshop is to foster synergy among ANF member states and promote their role in developing international standards, nano.ir reported.

The country’s second proposal invited the member states’ laboratories to attend the Interlaboratory Comparison (ILC) program on the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), a technique for determining a specific surface area, which was also received by the participants. The laboratories participating in the program will share the results of their analyses on samples sent from Iran, and at the end of the program, they will exchange views on mechanisms to improve the quality of laboratory results.

Attending the ANF, Ahmadvand presented an account of the country’s progress and accomplishments in the nanotechnology sector. Representatives from Japan, Iran, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and South Korea attended the forum. The event provided a great opportunity for sharing expertise and developing regional collaboration in nanotechnology.

On the first day of the forum, Ahmadvand delivered a lecture expounding on the country’s latest achievements and advancements in nanotechnology. The official elaborated on the current status of nanotechnology and its commercialization in Iran, showcasing the country’s capacities, infrastructure, and political experiences.

Supported by the Organization for Development of International Cooperation in Science and Technology, Iranian knowledge-based companies are participating in Nano Tech 2026, took place from January 27 to 31.

Nanotech constitutes 19% of Iran’s inventions

The headquarters for nanotechnology has supported the promotion of 20 nanotechnology inventions in the country, which constitute 19 percent of the total inventions registered in 2024.

In the past year, 33 nanotechnology plans have been approved, for 23 of which contracts have been concluded, ISNA reported.

The headquarters has decided to identify, assess, and support innovative ideas to empower nanotechnology businesses.

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 (equal to 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 (140 million dollars) in the past four years. This growth is about 31 percent higher than the country’s average annual inflation rate, IRNA quoted Ahmadvand as saying.

The official made the remarks in a meeting with reporters on the sidelines of the 16th Iran Nanotechnology Exhibition held in Tehran from November 2 to 5, 2025.

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

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, Ahmadvand further noted.

The official went on to say that 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, he added.

MT/MG