Following the holding of the two-day summit on industrial innovation challenges in Belgium, directorate general research and innovation of the European commission officially expressed its willingness to cooperate with Iran in the area of nano safety.

According to the public relations and information center of the Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs, the two-day summit on industrial innovation challenges was held in the areas of nanotechnology, advanced materials, biotechnology and industrial processes on October 3^rd and 4^th, 2017 in Brussels, Belgium in the presence of more than 1400 individuals from across the world.

This program is a part of the horizon 2020, which the program of the research and innovation of the European commission. In this program, priorities and key subjects are determined, and research and innovation institutes, such as universities, research centers, as well as technological and industrial companies, present their ideas and can provide their proposal if they are able to obtain the confirmation of various project implementers. Suggestions will then provide financial support and ownership of results will be related to those who are involved with the project.

This summit was held to present ideas of projects and find research partners for each project. In fact, projects that are defined during 2018-2020 in the framework on horizon 2020 must start forming consortium in order to provide joint proposals.

One section of these events is a panel with the topic of “cooperation with other countries”, in which representatives of Iran, Japan, Canada, Mexico and Thailand participated. From Iran, Saeed Sarkar, secretary of nanotechnology development headquarter was present. In addition, 10 booths with main topics were assigned to three countries, including Iran, Canada and America.

With regard to the activities and achievements of nanotechnology development headquarter in the area of nano standards and safety, the directorate general research and innovation of the European commission officially expressed its willingness to cooperate with Iran in the area of nano safety.

Moreover, the workshop of Asia-Europe discourse in the area of nano safety will be held in Iran in December in the presence of key members of the European Union and Asian countries. The main goal of this workshop is exchange of experience and knowledge between countries and creating dialogue to coordinate policies and regulations of the two continents.