The nanotechnology laboratory network (NLN) was established in 2004 with the aim of creating a suitable platform for providing laboratory services to academic and industrial researchers and improving productivity of the country's laboratory capacities. This network consists of universities, research institutions, and also public and private research centers from different cities of the country. The network provides services to researchers and students.

• Network Goals:
  • Providing easy access to all specialists and researchers of the country to laboratory capabilities
  • Simultaneous development of laboratory infrastructure
  • Supporting the construction of nano-related laboratory devices in the country
  • Development of international cooperation in the field of nanotechnology laboratory infrastructure
• Network Support: The network annually supports its member laboratories in the following areas: 1- Free participation in training manpower; 2- Maintenance, repair, calibration and upgrade of laboratory devices; 3- Obtaining the international certificate of ISO/IEC17025 standard; 4- Helping for purchase of laboratory devices from domestic or foreign customers; 5- Forming specialized working groups; 6- Implementation of laboratory information management software. The values of financial supports for laboratories are determined based on their scores and ranks. These scores are determined based on annual performance of the member laboratories.
• Manufacturing Laboratory Devices: Supporting the construction of laboratory devices related to nanotechnology is one of the most important missions of the laboratory network. Since 2006, several projects for the construction of laboratory devices related to nanotechnology have been supported. Several Iranian companies active in manufacturing nanotechnology laboratory devices have been supported. They have successfully introduced various devices to the market. Some of these devices are STM, AFM, GC, VSM, PACVD, PECVD, freeze dryer, and electrospinning system.
• Consulting: Nanotechnology laboratory network receives and archives various information and provides it to professors, students, researchers, and industrial centers through various methods. In addition to publishing information such as specifications of different laboratories in the country and their various devices (at NLN website: www.nanolab.ir), consulting services can also be available via e-mail info@nanolab.ir. The network could also provide consulting services in the field of laboratory construction and equipment, repairs, maintenance, calibration, and upgrading laboratory devices, purchase of new devices, etc.
• Specialized Working Groups: In order to make the most of the existing scientific-laboratory potentials and also increase flow of knowledge in the network, a special program was approved to create specialized working groups. Each working group consists of experts from a specific laboratory apparatus (for example, TEM) led by a scientific advisor and a person among the experts of that apparatus. By now, specialized working groups of TEM, SPM, SEM and X-Ray devices have been formed. Also, this network has formed a specialized standardization and calibration working group with the help of experts in the field of laboratory standardization. This working group consists of 6 international supervisors of ISO/IEC 17025 standard. This working group provides the necessary advice to the network and its member laboratories on the implementation of the necessary standards in the member laboratories, as well as the calibration of laboratory devices and obtaining various national and international certificates.
• International cooperation: Nanotechnology Laboratory Network is interested in cooperating with networks and research centers active in the field of nanotechnology in other countries for providing laboratory services, calibrating devices and training students and operators for new methods of working with devices.
• Network website: Website of the Nanotechnology Laboratory Network provides the necessary information about the available capabilities, programs, devices and facilities, as well as complete specifications of member and non-member laboratories from all over the country. Also, this website tries to promote technical knowledge of visitors by publishing various articles and news about laboratory device and analyses.