Activities in Iran for Standardization of Nanotechnology
Authors: Rezaeifar Ayat , Mesgari Mojtaba , Mehmani Bahar 
Published: October 2008

The importance of nanotechnology standardization is to reach the main topic in developing standards, which is “uniformity in manufacturing and facilitating the commercialization of nano-products.” According to this goal, activities on standardization in nanotechnology have been started in Iran, where development of nanotechnology is assigned to National Nanotechnology Committee of Iran. This committee is working under direct supervision of presidency office. As written in the committee’s official website [http://www.nano.ir], one of the long term goals of this movement, according to the “fourth development program of Iran” is to reach appropriate share of world trade based on nanotechnology. For this purpose standard developing and quality management system is needed for facilitating industrial and technological cooperation and decreasing costs raised from quality unawareness. So our workgroup has selected nanotechnology standardization as one of its research topics. We have studied current state of different active countries in this field and find out that one can categorize these activities into two major groups, General and Specific. The general activities refer to those looking from the regulatory and nomenclature point of view. In the other side specific activities have done according to local contracts signed between manufacturers, organizations and business start-ups. As examples of the activities started in Iran we can mention: 1. Establishing National Laboratory Network for Nanotechnology by National Nanotechnology Committee of Iran. 2. Collaboration of the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran (ISIRI) with, International Standard Organization (ISO) for starting the new Nanotechnology TC (technical committee). Today, Iran is one of the 23 active members of ISO TC 229 on Nanotechnologies. 3. Academic research on standardization of measurement procedures used for nano-scale materials. We have gathered or proposed in our research some opportunities specifically for Iran, which may also be helpful for other developing countries to enhance their market position in the upcoming era of nanotechnology. These proposals can be listed as below: 1. Establishing a national committee for managing and regulating of nanotechnology standards; 2. Starting nanotechnology technical committee in Iranian Standard and Industrial Research Organization; 3. Actively collaborating with other countries and international standard institutes, insisting on the country’s core competencies; 4. Introducing Iran’s specific needs to international standard institutes; 5. Equipping national laboratories; 6. Collaborating with international laboratory networks; 7. Developing specific standards based on casual contracts; 8. Activation of researchers to focus on measurement procedures and methods; 9. Participation in regional seminars and workshops and initiation of such activities. With paying attention to these activities, we can find the opportunity of holding a highly referenced database and information center for nanotechnology related commerce. To organize the “nanotechnology technical committee” inside the ISIRI [http://www.isiri.org/], which is responsible for all standardization activities in Iran, we decided to follow the common inter organizational disciplines of this institute, but we suggested assigning 2 or 3 members of this committee, despite others, as full time members. These members would track international standardization activities, and would be the administrators of such activities within Iran. Actively collaboration with other countries and international standard institutes, insisting on the country’s core competencies, would have lots of benefits for country. Taking into consideration that, there is no comprehensive and global accepted nano-standard in the world, through these efforts we can introduce our main interested topics of standardization to international standard institutes (e.g. during our correspondences with Dr. Hatto from UK committee for standardization in Nanotechnologies, we received an offer to notice them our priorities in Nano-standards). To do so, ISIRI has announced his full support of new ISO TC on Nanostandards. To be able to play an appropriate role in this field, having laboratories with advanced equipments is something essential. Because of the reason that these facilities are costly, we decided to take the advantages of National Laboratory Network for Nanotechnology. The laboratories within this network can support nanostandardization process through measurement at nano scale, identifying characterization of nano structures and materials, and their physical and chemical properties (for more information about this network you can visit the following website http://nanolab.nano.ir). Having a well-known and advanced national laboratory network, Iran can provide services to other countries too, and also can become a member of international laboratory networks to develop it activities. The other activity that Iran is interested in is to take part in joint works with international standard making organizations to develop specific standards (e.g. characterization of nanoparticles in ceramics industry). After developing such standards they could be certified through authority standard making organization. Universities also can play an active role in nanotechnology standardization from different aspects. For instance they can do surveys to study priorities of country in this field, and also can study on measurement at nanoscale, characterization of nanomaterilas, test method subjects and etc. Also, some activities in this field have been done in some first rated universities in the country. Participating in regional seminars and making good connections between scientists who are working at this task is another way to have a good background about nano standardization and developing special standards in nano technology. Scientists can co-work in regional universities and laboratories and they can present their research results in such kind of seminars. The goal of such program is making a new task in science and a good relationship between researchers who are working at laboratories on nano standardization and governments. Developing specific standards based on casual contracts makes our universities, laboratories and industries strong for developing standards for special cases. Being strong in such contracts give our industries and universities a powerful goal for developing standards in special cases. Equipping national laboratories and Collaborating with international laboratory networks gives our industries and universities a wide range of abilities for making precision measurements and being in touch with other institutes. The researchers and engineers can use the results of each laboratory for their researches and measurements. In this way the special contracts can be stronger and appearance of Iran in seminars, workshops and commercial relations will be more effective. One of the most important decisions can be finding a proper industry in Iran which can compete in world trade. For this kind of industry using nano materials as the primary materials or in other steps of process and developing standards will be very helpful. This kind of researches will helpful for developing a long range policy for nanotechnology in Iran.