Karaj, Iran, June 2, 2026 – The Materials and Energy Research Center (MERC) and the Inter-Islamic Network on Nanotechnology (INN) hosted Prof. Dr. Seyed Komail Tayebi, President ECO Science Foundation in Karaj, Iran. The meeting was attended by MERC’s top leadership, including Dr. Abouzar Massoudi, MERC Vice President for Technology; Dr. Abolhassan Imani, Chair of MERC’s International Strategic Committee and Secretary- General of INN; and Dr. Fatemeh Sadat Torknik, INN Director of Educational Affairs and Secretary of MERC’s International Strategic Committee. Dr. Massoudi presented MERC’s infrastructure and research capacities, highlighting its four specialized institutes in Semiconductors, Energy, Ceramics, and Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials.

Dr. Imani outlined INN’s role in advancing nanotechnology cooperation through scientific events, training, Olympiads, and joint research programmes, while Dr. Torknik presented a proposed ECOSF–INN education and skills-development package, including specialized courses, workshops, internships, nanotechnology schools, and joint programmes for researchers and students.

Prof. Tayebi highlighted the value of leveraging MERC’s technical capabilities and INN’s international network to address shared regional challenges, strengthen human capital, and promote collaborative STI initiatives across ECO Member States. Prof. Tayebi presented ECOSF’s mandate and regional priorities, emphasizing that MERC’s technical infrastructure and INN’s international network could be linked with ECOSF’s network of institutions across the 10 ECO Member States. He proposed joint educational, research, technology-transfer, and capacity-building initiatives to address shared regional challenges, enhance skills, create employment opportunities, and advance sustainable development.