By Jim Dukart
NanoCon Show Daily
Sept. 21, 2006 — The afternoon conference sessions at NanoCon 2006 in Las Vegas on Wednesday addressed current U.S. funding levels for nanotech, American and international nanotech policy considerations, the use of nanotech in the transportation industry and the development of nanomaterials.
In a policy and funding session, Richard Russell, associate director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President, pointed out that U.S. government funding for nanotechnology has nearly tripled since the adoption of the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) in fiscal year 2001.
Included as one of eight priority research areas in President Bush’s American Competitiveness Initiative, Russell said nanotech research and development will receive more than $1.2 billion in federal funding in fiscal year 2007. In addition to government support, Russell lauded corporate funding for nanotech research and development as well as the efforts of U.S. state governments. “Twenty-six states passed some form of nanotech bills last year alone,” Russell stated. “They are particularly active in creating technology transfer mechanisms such as incubators where research can be done and products developed.”
A session called “Nano Transportation” discussed nanotechnology products and development as they relate to the automotive, aerospace and military sectors. Mark Verbrugge, director of the Materials & Processes Laboratory at General Motors Research and Development, noted that the surface area efficiencies of nano-materials and nano-structures opens the door for an as yet-unknown range of new applications and uses in the automotive industry.
“Nanotechnology is a disruptive, I would say revolutionary technology,” concurred Leonard Chen, director of CRAD Pursuits for Raytheon. Sharon Smith, director of advanced technology for Lockheed Martin, noted that her company has a current contract to install nanotech-based sensors in the New York City subway system, a bio-detection application that will surely be applied in other transportation and port systems.
The Nano Materials panel spoke at length about the need to continue fundamental research in physics and chemistry, and how nanotechnology is opening up new possibilities for applications that have not even been thought of yet. Peter Krueger, head of the Bayer Working Group Nanotechnology for Bayer MaterialScience AG, said in Germany collaboration between universities, government and the private sector has been key to nanotech development. Such consortiums, he said, are helpful not only from a technology and research expertise point of view, but also as a way to fund nanotech initiatives that might be out of reach of any one sector acting on its own.
Ralf Anselmann, head of Exploration & Validation Nanotronics for Creavis Technologies & Innovation of Degussa, AG, said German universities are particularly well equipped to do basic research that private companies can then attempt to turn into products.
“Nanomaterials can be created and delivered in volume,” added Joe Cross, President & CEO of Nanophase Technologies. “So it is no longer a question of whether that can be done. Right now, it’s all about finding applications for the materials.”