The Influence of Research and Development Activities and NanoFab Centers on Product Development in Nanotechnology: Focusing on Solar Thermal Energy and Photovoltaic Technology

This research aims to determine the influence of fundamental, applied, developmental research and Nanofabrication (NanoFab) centers on the final outcomes achieved by research and development activities, implying product development and value creation in nanotechnology. Data were collected through library studies and field studies in this study and research factors were also identified. To confirm the collected factors, structural equation technique and Smart PLS software were used and after confirming the research factors, the collected data were analyzed using fuzzy inference method and MATLAB software. The achieved results indicated that this field had the most performance despite the minimal influence of fundamental research on the final results of research and development activities and developmental research, while NanoFabs had the poorest performance with the highest influence on the final results of research activities. It is possible to conclude according to the research results that research and development activities at the fundamental and applied levels cannot easily be connected to the end ring, i.e., industry without NanoFab centers, and provide the final product and create value. Furthermore, providing NanoFab or NanoFabs with emphasis on the development of nanomaterial can significantly affect the development of renewable energies.