Development and Improvement of Technology Requires Interaction Between Technology Development Councils and Laboratory Network

The meeting between Technology Development Councils and Iran High-tech Laboratory Network, Vice-presidency for Science and Technology, was held and attended by the head and secretary of this network as well as a team of representatives from Technology Development Councils.

According to the Information and Public Relations Center of Vice-presidency for Science and Technology, this meeting between Technology Development Councils and Iran High-tech Laboratory Network, Vice-presidency for Science and Technology, was hosted by Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council of Vice-presidency for Science and Technology.

Head of Iran High-tech Laboratory Network, Vice-presidency for Science and Technology, Reza Asadi Fard, referred to the close collaboration and comprehensive interaction between Technology Development Councils and Iran High-tech Laboratory Network, as a necessity to help technically develop the high-tech laboratories and added, “Considering the mission of this network to provide the necessary laboratory services to technology councils especially those laboratories which evaluate products of knowledge-based companies, there should be a suitable ‘needs assessment’, and Iran High-tech Laboratory Network must be clearly informed of the requirements of the Technology Development Councils of Vice-presidency for Science and Technology.”

In this meeting, he explained about the way this Laboratory Network functions in addition to introducing its activities and frameworks, and said, “Apart from using the facilities of Iran High-tech Laboratory Network, Technology Development Councils of Vice-presidency for Science and Technology can introduce the specific laboratories in order to bring together the related strategy laboratory centers, improve the quality and increase the quantity of technical laboratory services.”

The Main Goal of Laboratory Network: Capability and Capacity Expansion

Head of Iran High-tech Laboratory Network, Vice-presidency for Science and Technology, considered the activities of the Network as: sharing the capabilities and providing services, which is the first and foremost condition for laboratories to be included in Iran High-tech Laboratory Network, he then added, “In case there are  laboratories which provide technical services especially in the field of knowledge-based company product evaluation, although, they cannot provide general services, they will be able to present their information on the Network’s website as a non-member laboratory, so that not only will they familiarize the researchers with their laboratories, but also receive the necessary requirements and conditions to be the members of the Network by customer expansion and service increase.

The Need for Development of Technical Laboratories in the Field of Renewable Energies

Asadi Fard indicated that renewable energies are among the fields which require extensive laboratory services in the near future and continued to say, “before long, our country will need technical laboratory services in that field, therefore, the infrastructures to absorb the laboratories of this field must be provided.”

He added,”Considering the importance of renewable energies, it is recommended that the related council should provide their new plans, to Iran High-tech Laboratory Network, Vice-presidency for Science and Technology.”

The Encouragement and Persuasion of Laboratories to Recruit and Keep Laboratory Technicians

Regarding the establishment of new laboratories, the head of Iran High-tech Laboratory Network, Vice-presidency for Science and Technology, stated, “Due to lack of funding and investment possibilities all over the country, it is preferred to support the existing facilities and implement the current capability development plans; however, despite this, in a special condition, the possibility to support the establishment of a new, distinctive laboratory by taking all considerations into account, may be likely.”

Referring to encouragement and Persuasion of laboratory centers to recruit and keep laboratory technician personnel, Asadi Fard said, “In order to ensure the aforementioned, Iran High-tech Laboratory Network, Vice-presidency for Science and Technology, proceeds with the following plans: the execution of programs to introduce and reward the best technicians, promotion of organizational culture and proper management of laboratory centers, and encouragement of the laboratories to consistently implement and carry out the bonus payment system based on the employees’ performance.”

At the beginning of the meeting, in addition to expressing appreciation for the councils’ cooperation, the secretary of Iran High-tech Laboratory Network, Mojtaba Nasab, presented a report of the aims, activities, current plans, and development plans of the Laboratory Network.

Later in the meeting, there was a suggestion for the establishment of smaller scale laboratory networks and specialized to each council, in order to put together and evaluate the capabilities of the laboratories in each field, as well as a suggestion from the experts, to establish a relationship between these networks and Iran High-tech Laboratory Network.

Furthermore, there was a suggestion concerning the possibility of joining some laboratories to the Laboratory Network, by defining and clarifying some laboratory concepts in activities of several Technology Development Councils,  especially in the fields of soft and identity-making technology, cognitive sciences and stem cells.

Periodic and consistent shared, technical meetings being held among experts from each Technology Development Council and Laboratory Network, in order to increase collaboration, support of the laboratory technicians, and motivations for keeping the efficient work force in the laboratory section, were  among the other recommendations in this meeting.