More Active Labs, More Support

Iran High Tech Laboratory Network of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology plans to further support those labs which use their equipment more and in the best way and those which fulfill the policies of this Network in an optimal manner.

Public Relations Center of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology reported that the first meeting of the managers of the centers of Iran High Tech Laboratory Network was held this morning at Iran  Polymer and Petrochemical Institute.

According to this report, the manager of Iran High Tech Laboratory Network of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology, Dr. Reza Asadifard stated the goals, and introduced the plans and activities of this Network.

He pointed out the defined policies of Iran High Tech Laboratory Network of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology and the operation of this Network based on these policies, also regarding the history of the Laboratory Network, he said, “Making of a network has a long history. More than three decades ago there was a concept for making a network and it has been twenty years since this concept was introduced. It might have been unimaginable in the past to have such a vast network. However, presently, this network is used as a tool in all the domains. Since networking has been changed to a common concept  we should see how this concept is to be used favorably,  in our working fields. The different networks such as social networks have somehow engaged us and even children, and the lives of the present man is, one way or another,  based on networks.

The manager of Iran High Tech Laboratory Network of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology mentioned that apart from the need for trained and efficient man power, the suitable laboratory equipment is the most important requirement. He added, “Day by day we witness the decrease of useful life and efficiency of the equipment,  and since science and technology is ever-growing,  the new equipment makes it possible to gain more facilities.”

With respect to the history of the activities of Laboratory Network in Iran, Dr. Asadifards said, “in 2004 , Laboratory Network of Nano Technology started its work, and we were faced with this challenge to find a solution for optimal use and sharing of lab equipment in the country. Different solutions were presented and we arrived at a decision to organize  the presentation system of equipment and services in our country.

The manager of Iran High Tech Laboratory Network of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology also stated, “Unfortunately some of the concepts and phrases are ruined in the country or are losing their true value. For instance, the concept of centers of excellence may have kept its sense and value in other parts of the world, but due to limitations and deficiencies in our country we cannot consider a certain place as the center of excellence and several centers are addressed as such. This is not because of the fact that these centers have not fulfilled their responsibilities well, but it is due to our lack of proper definition and practice. Most of the time we have great ideas but since the suitable practice for it is not defined, it is doomed to failure. The network is one of those concepts that was faced with such a problem and to some extend it is still facing it. When the idea of this network was introduced a lot of people said that similar networks existed but were not successful.”

He mentioned some of the problems concerning the country’s labs such as, purchase ways and needs assessment and added, “Unfortunately the purchase of the equipment in most of the centers especially governmental ones is not done by proper needs assessment. Lower capacities are used, standard places for the equipment are not chosen. There is no standard samples to calibrate the devices. Sometimes a device worth hundreds of million Toman, due to a fault in one part worth a few million Toman, is left unused for several months. There is no motivation for the users of the devices. Of course with the efforts done in this respect, fortunately most of these problems either do not exist in Laboratory Network Institutes or there is endeavor to reduce them.

According to Asadifard, the government’s support should be based on needs assessment of areas, and that they should appoint conditions so that the devices are used in an optimal manner. The new devices should be given to those institutes that provide the most services to the country’s researchers and industries.

The manager of Iran High Tech Laboratory Network of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology continued to say, “There is this wrong belief in the institutes that if a device is used a lot, it is more likely for it to be out of order soon, but each device has a determined useful life. Whoever has used their device in the best way has witnessed a great outcome. What is important in the Network is that how the facilities are being used. Iran High Tech Laboratory Network of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology  plans to further support those labs which use their equipment more and in the best way and those which fulfill the policies of this Network in an optimal manner.

Asadifard stated that Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology is not responsible to equip the Laboratories of the country but by devising some specific plans it helps develop the science and technology of the country. In addition he said, “One of the plans of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology regarding the provision of equipment, optimal use, research quality in the country was to start Iran High Tech Laboratory Network. Each Institute that works well in this Network is supported by the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology as Laboratory Network. On the whole, Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology and Laboratory Network emphasizes that these laboratories are supported by this Network.”

He talked of the advantages of being a member of Laboratory Network and said, “Fortunately, there are several experts for each device. Sometimes each of these devices are working for themselves, think they are competitors. However, these experts form technical working groups and collaborate together in the Network. In these technical working groups, experts, professors of universities, and even servicemen and the domestic producers come together, write manuals on how to operate the machinery, define projects on developing their usages, define national standards where necessary, and if they have questions on new samples, there are some experts available to ask them their questions and use their experiences.”

The manager of Iran High Tech Laboratory Network of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology added, “In case a device purchased is not used as much, the Laboratory Network sends out information to help use that device somewhere else to better use the investment.”

Asadifard noted that the labs must obtain the necessary international standards to provide better services, and stated, “Iran High Tech Laboratory Network assists labs to obtain the necessary standards.”

He emphasized that providing out of network services and equipment sharing are the main priorities of supporting the labs in the Network and pointed out the Laboratory Networks precise annual evaluation of members. He said, “Any services provided by a lab must be reported to the Network in the shape of forms and determined structures and the Network evaluates and ranks the labs based on three important criteria, function (provision of services), customer satisfaction (customer’ opinion of the lab), network cooperation (policies of the Network being carried out by the network centers), and at last a report will be issued for the labs.”

The manager of Iran High Tech Laboratory Network of Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology stated, “There has been a good reception for the membership to the Network; however, this does not mean that these centers are permanent members. Since some are trial members and some others are eliminated due to the results of periodic evaluations.”

Referring to the on line credit system of Iran High Tech Laboratory Network, Asadifard said, “The Network allocates to some people and credit companies which will be registered by national card number. Whichever lab these people or organizations get their service from, there will be credit reduction from them and their remaining credit can be observed instantly. The number of services these labs give, apart from the support given by the network, the price will be immediately paid to the labs.”

He thanked the labs’ excellent cooperations and said, “We have good cooperations with other headquarters of the Network and they can help the High Tech Laboratory Network of Vice-Presidency for Research and Technology to introduce labs and develop the Network.

In the end, he mentioned that at first they did not imagine that High Tech Laboratory Network of Vice-Presidency for Research and Technology would have such good reception, and expressed hope that by continuing these cooperations we can have a complete and comprehensive network of developed laboratories.

Dr. Hasan Arabi, associate professor and deputy of Research Department of Polymer and Petrochemical Institute was also in this session and introduced Polymer and Petrochemical Institute of Iran. He also expressed hope that the relation between the lab members in this session may lead to further relations and cooperations between all the labs and research centers in the country so that we can witness effective results of this transactions in all the fields of technology.

In this session, vice-president of the managing director of Razi Metallurgical Research Center, Mehrdad Moharami, presented an educational topic under the title of, “The Importance of Crediting and Standardizing Laboratory Activities “.  In this presentation the managers of the members got familiar with the importance and procedures of lab qualification approval, lab credit giving agencies, and laboratory international standards.

In the end of the first session of the managers of the members of High Tech National Network, Vice-Presidency for Research and Technology, attendees visited different sections of Polymer and Petrochemical Institute of Iran. During this visit, the laboratory members got familiar with this research institute’s different faculties, facilities and achievements, and laboratory equipment.