The Role and Place of Internationalization in Shaping Future of Nano Technology in Iran

 Expansion of the internationalexchange and sharing knowledge and scientific achievements has a determinantrole in science and technology(S&T) development in the world. During lasttwo decades investment in high technology has turned into one of the mainS&T policy priorities in Iran national scientific blueprints. Nano-technologydevelopment is one of the priorities that government concentrates on it andmakes a lot of investment in this field. In national strategy plan achievingworld 15th place in nano-technology has been set as a big picture. The purpose ofthis paper is critical analysis of nanotechnology development in Iran incompliance with the big picture. The main question is how internationalizationis shaping current situation and alternative futures for nanotechnology inIran? The paper’s hypothesis: internationalization of knowledge and technologyhas critical and decisive role in nanotechnology development and itsdistinction inside the country. Assumption of this paper is: internationalization and international scientific collaboration is intrinsiccondition for science and technology development.

Documentary research, trendanalysis and scenario planning are used in this paper.

The findings are extraction of four scenarios beforeNano-technology development in Iran including continued as usual, collapse, revival, and transformation.

Publishing internationaljournal paper in field of nanoscience and technology converts into national distinction of nanotechnologydevelopment in Iran; circumscribing of internationalization of nano-technologyto international journal paper; necessity of changing the role of state fromcustodian and demiurge to facilitator and husbandry role; enhancingparticipation of scientific community in determining strategies and policiesfor nano-technology development in country are among the important results ofthe research.