IRAN NANO 2008

The first Iranian Nanotechnology Exhibition was held in Tehran in October 2008. Considering the competencies of Iranian researchers, the main goals of the trade fair were:

1. Displaying the competency of the country in the field of nanotechnology
2. Presenting the Iran made nano-products
3. Commercializing nanotechnology
4. Holding annual conferences for individuals active in the field of nanotechnology

The presence of thousands of investors, artisans, directors, researchers, and students, and their satisfaction with the trade fair on one side and the direct interaction between the students and ordinary people and the administrators on the other side revealed the success of the exhibition in achieving the abovementioned goals. About 130 nanotechnology-related research centers, universities and companies participated in the exhibition; the majority of the booths were rented by nano companies, which revealed the up growing interest in nano-products and commercializing them. A booth named as "Public Show" dedicated to present general public with the basic definition of nanotechnology and its use in everyday life was also mounted in the exhibition besides the specialized pavilions. The active presence of students and their high interest in this field revealed the bright future of this technology in our country. The general public fascination with the exhibition also showed the general interest in nanotechnology and its products. In conjugation with the main parts, there was a variety of workshops and panels including:

1. The international convention attended by the specialists and directors of different countries such as the United States, England, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia
2. The meeting of the deans of nano companies, artisans and businessmen active in the field of nanotechnology
3. The meeting of the directors of Nano Laboratory Network

At the end of the exhibition, the best diligent in different aspects of nanotechnology were awarded. The future Iranian nanotechnology will be held next year, aiming to introduce the country as a leading nanotechnology center in the world.

IRAN NANO 2009

In the current era, the progress and development of the countries depend on the technological growth and development. As one of the most important technologies in the 21st century, nanotechnology creates a tremendous change in all aspects of the humans' life. Therefore, Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council decided to hold the second nanotechnology festival in 2009 with the following objectives:

• To promote nanotechnology amongst the public, students, experts, and technologists;
• To identify the research and industrial capacities;
• To strengthen the current co-operation between the industries and universities;
• To employ the developed nanotechnology in the current industries;
• To pave the way for the nanotechnology companies to take part in the international markets;
• To acclaim the best in the field of nanotechnology.

The exhibition was held with the participation of 207 companies in 176 booths in an area of 15,000 square metres for five days (3-7 November 2009). The participants included 106 companies active in the field of nanotechnology and 40 academic, educational, and research institutes.

Among the most important sections of the festival, mention can be made of the following:

Corridor of the Technological Services to the Market

The corridor started its activity in the nanotechnology festival, aiming to facilitate the provision of services for the science-based firms, to boost the exchange of services between the firms that provide technology development services, and to increase integration among them. The services of the corridor in the field of nanotechnology development are as follow:

Providing consultation and conducting feasibility studies on the industrial and service projects and plans; technology transfer services for the industries; legal services and intellectual property; supportive services to obtain the required licences and standards; services to document the technology; investing and financing; marketing; and developing and directing the co-operation among the technical companies, marketing sector, and the domestic and international commercial firms.

Individuals and companies who wanted to do commerce would refer to the corridor to obtain services, to develop their product, to do the marketing, and to enter the market. The corridor promoted their business gradually.

Public Education

In this section, the applications of nanotechnology in different aspects were introduced theoretically and practically, and the visitors were given interesting information such as the use of nanotechnology in sportswear, nano in nature, nano and its applications in the health and hygiene, and the application of nano in textiles and in the new energies. In addition, the following parts were active in this section:

• Presentation of Student's Activities

Aiming to attract the students to nanotechnology and to introduce it to them, and to guide them to form students groups, do research, and have inventions, Nanoclub introduced the geniuses and gave presents to the top students. The students became more familiar with the concept of nanotechnology in Nanocinema by watching films and animations. Nanotheatre had employed an artistic language to display the basics of this technology for the audience.

• Nano Puzzle Competition

During the festival, the nano puzzle competition section attracted all visitors, creating memorable and interesting scenes. The main objective of this game was to express the basics of nanotechnology in a simple and tangible way.

Industry Special Zone

In this zone, the managers and experts of the industries were introduced to the application of this technology, the industrial applications of nanotechnology in the six industrial fields of medicine, textile, petroleum and energy, building, agriculture and nutrition, and automobile-making were presented, and expert seminars on the application of nanotechnology in the said six fields were held with the participation of the invited industrialists.

• In the section Nanohouse, the applications of nanotechnology in the wall tiles, window glasses, wall concrete, interior paint, facade, thermal insulation, polymeric pipes, filters, etc were introduced.
• In the section Nanoautomobile, the applications of nanotechnology in the manufacturing of the engine and the interior filters, hubcaps, engine oil, seat cover, dashboard, glasses and mirror, car paint, steering wheel cover, and the radiator liquid were presented by Iran Khodro Company.
• In the section water purification, the technical and economic feasibility studies of the purification of the water of the River Karoon by using nanofilteration, and the provision of drinking water for Mollasani Town in Ahvaz by using nanofilteration were presented.
• In the section stabilisation of deserts, the process of stabilising sand by using nanotechnology was displayed practically for the visitors. Some advantages of this project include the following: it reduces the cost of transportation, it does not pollute the environment in comparison to mulch, it is easy to apply, it is cost-effective, it dose not reflects the sunlight because of its transparency, and it creates a suitable environment for plantation (this solution consists 98% of water).

Nanoshop

In this section, the commercialised nanotechnology products of the domestic companies were introduced and sold at reasonable prices. This section paved the way for a giant leap in commercialising the nanotechnology products and introducing them to the public, which was well received by the visitors. According to the authorities of this section, approximately 5,000 people visited the shop.