Technology selection: application of the PROMETHEE in determining preferences–a real case of nanotechnology in Iran

PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment) is a family of outranking methods. In this paper, we explore its application to technology selection by first providing a generic comparison of PROMETHEE with other ranking methods. We start our investigation by comparing the strengths and weaknesses of PROMETHEE to prevalently used methods in technology selection, such as Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP), technology selection framework and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchical Process (FAHP with Fuzzy Delphi). We then explain how PROMETHEE can be applied to a particular technology selection application by detailing the steps for selecting among various nanotechnology application fields. Lastly, we compare PROMETHEE to other methods in this context and explain the advantages and constraints of its use.