The top five export destinations for these products are Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia, Turkey, and Georgia, making up approximately 80% of exports, as stated by Emad Ahmadvand, an official with the vice presidency for science and technology, according to Mehr.
In the current Iranian year, which ends on March 20th, 1,808 nano-technology products have been manufactured and marketed across 15 diverse industrial sectors, all based on domestic technology advancements.
Ahmadvand’s survey suggests that the total sales of these Iranian-made nano-technology products amount to more than 300 trillion rials, equivalent to around $600 million. The overall market value is estimated at 1.125 billion dollars, with nano-technology exports contributing 69 million dollars, equating to 6% of the entire market value.
Last year’s best-selling nano-technology products included sanitary faucets, oil and gas nano-catalysts, automotive nano-catalysts, construction and decorative tiles, and optoelectronic products. The industrial sectors of construction, automobile and transportation, and oil, gas, and petrochemical held the largest market shares, respectively.
Nano-tech products
A thriving industry in Iran that showcases the nation’s scientific progress is nanotechnology, which has propelled the country to become the fourth largest player globally in this field. Nanotech products are in high demand across five continents, with 358 companies actively contributing to this sector within the country. A remarkable 1,608 products and equipment have been awarded nanotechnology certifications. In the past year alone (ending March 20), the combined sales of Iranian nanoproducts reached an impressive 115 trillion rials, equivalent to approximately $425 million.
In recent years, the growth of nanotechnology export programs has led to the establishment of export bases for nanotechnology products in countries such as China, India, Indonesia, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq. This expansion has enabled Iranian nanotechnology goods, equipment, and services to enter global markets. Among these products, 42% are related to construction, over 17% pertain to the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors, 13% concern the automotive industry, and more than 10% involve optoelectronics.
In June 2023, Vice President for Science and Technology, Sourena Sattari, declared that approximately 270 companies are currently engaged in the nanotechnology sector. These companies are expected to generate revenue of up to 80 trillion rials, which is equivalent to around $310 million.
Iran’s progress in the field of nanotechnology has been noteworthy, as evidenced by its significant improvement in the citation ranking of nanotechnology articles. According to StatNano’s data obtained from the WoS database, Iran’s ranking increased by 26 levels in 2019 compared to 2018.
In terms of the average number of citations for nano-articles in the Journal Citation Reports, Iran ranked 38th in 2019, while it was placed 64th in 2018. Furthermore, Iran secured the 4th position for the highest number of nano-article publications during the same period.
