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CORVALLIS, Ore., June 1, 2004 — Luminaries from business, academe and government got together for a supernetworking event at the recent formal opening of the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI), the state’s new nano research center.
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Not only are nanotech supporters convinced state and federal money for nanotechnology research and engineering education will spur the state’s economic recovery to continue, they believe that educating and attracting top scientists will keep that recovery going for years to come.
They have already begun a campaign to get some of the $3.7 billion in the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (PDF, 56.1 KB) signed by President Bush last year.
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“Nano rocks in Oregon,” said one of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., as he surveyed the sparkling new center. “The science of small stuff is a big opportunity to create a lot of jobs in the state.”
His three R’s are: Restraining government regulations in the early days of a technology; Recruiting scientists; and Reaching out to partners and business.
The Oregon Legislature’s approval of new funding for engineering education and Hewlett-Packard Co.’s contribution of the space for ONAMI are examples of how those three Rs can work together, he said.
Businesses with displays at the event included a Portland State University Business Accelerator Project company, Octavian Scientific Inc., a developer of chip-testing devices; and Home Dialysis Plus of Portland, which makes portable dialysis machines using microtechnology developed at OSU.
Other company presences at the opening were Intel Corp., Tektronix, Electro Scientific Industries, Inc. of Portland, which designs and makes products used in electronics manufacturing, and FEI Co. , a Hillsboro-based developer of measuring devices for nano-sized research.
Wyden cautioned that Oregon would have to compete for federal funds for the 10 nanotech centers created by the legislation.
“It’s not just about government writing checks. Government funds are intended to be seed capital,” he said. “You have made a magnificent, coordinated effort to put us in a position to get one of these centers.”
Another key player speaking at the grand opening was David Chen, a partner in OVP Venture Partners, a venture capital firm based in the Pacific Northwest.
ONAMI represents the merging of researchers, politicians and business people who can turn research into production capability to businesses to jobs, he said.
“The governor and the Legislature showed they were willing to bet on high tech and fundamental research to fund the only new project during the past session,” Chen said. With support from HP, these players culminated in ONAMI, “Oregon’s bet on the nanosciences.”
“Why is it important?” Chen asked and answered, “Every time we’ve made a leap in technology, there has been a leap in industrial manufacturing.”
For, in addition to all of the advantages earlier speakers had cited, he said Oregon has a hidden asset. “Our industrial base — Oregon’s creators, users and producers of these technologies — are all here.”
Gov. Ted Kulongoski praised the participation of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. “I think ONAMI will become the leader” in nanotech development, because of the partnerships that have developed, he said.
In the past year, Oregon’s relaxed pace has gotten a kick-start and the race for patents and grants has intensified. Early in May, the University of Oregon received a patent for chemist James Hutchison’s invention of an environmentally benign process for creating nanoparticles.
In March, Jun Jiao, Portland State University assistant physics professor and co-director of the college’s Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, won the National Science Foundation’s Career Award, a five-year, $400,000 grant to support research into carbon nanotube fabrication.