The Nano Tech 2018 was held on February 14-16 in Japan’s capital of Tokyo, with over 600 firms and agencies from 21 countries in attendance.
According to a Farsi report by the website of Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council, more than 50,000 visitors visited the trade fair this year.
The INIC is an affiliate of Iran’s Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology, tasked with promoting knowledge-based economy.
The knowledge-based economy is a system of consumption and production based on intellectual capital, in which a significant part of a company’s value may consist of intangible assets, mainly the value of its workers’ knowledge.
The incumbent administration has adopted plans to commercialize knowledge-based firm, as knowledge-based activities can make a significant contribution to Iran’s economic development by increasing added value among other things.
The main priorities are to promote the establishment of more knowledge-based firms and to encourage universities to focus largely on knowledge-based economy.
There are over 3,000 such companies in the country, which can benefit from governmental loans to finance their projects
Experts believe nanotechnology could worth a lot to the Iranian economy, as Iran currently ranks seventh globally in this field, according to the data released by Iran’s Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology.
The government plans to boost export of nanotechnology-related products and equipment to $1 billion by 2019.
For a brief review of Iran’s achievements in various fields of science and technology, check the book “Science and Technology in Iran: A Brief Review”
Promoting knowledge-based companies is a main principle of Resistance Economy, a concept aimed at weaning the Iranian government from heavy dependence on oil revenues and boosting productivity and export
It was first proposed by the Leader of Islamic Revolution in 2011, amid the tightening of international sanctions on Iran, which were imposed over unproven allegations that its nuclear program has military purposes.
The sanctions were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal, which removed international sanctions in return for confidence-building curbs on Iran’s nuclear work.
