OCTOBER 2007 | VOLUME 2 | NUMBER 56

COMMENT

The rapid growth of nanotechnology is continuing around the world, but is the UK going to be left behind?

Michael Pitkethly | CENAMPS, UK | michael.pitkethly@cenamps.com

Around the world the nanotechnology wave

continues to roll onwards. Many distinguished

authors and commentators have highlighted

that nanotechnology will be the next technology

revolution following Si chips and biotechnology.

There has certainly been growth in scientific

publications and a regular flow of articles in the

press that has maintained a level of awareness.

However, humans have a notoriously low boredom

threshold and are constantly looking for the next big

thing, even when the current one has just started. Is

nanotechnology about to be left behind?

The signs are that interest is still high and growing.

There is continued growth in the levels of funding

for nanotechnology research around the world. All

the major industrialized countries are increasing

public investment, with the US, European Union,

and Japan increasing support by an average of

31% per annum since 1997. Private sector funding

is also increasing, although the EU lags behind

the US and Japan in the proportion of private to

public funding. The reason for this is something

that exercises economists, although factors such

as long- versus short-term goals, acquisition of

technology compared with internal discovery, and

the rate of innovation all play a part. However,

what is obvious is that, aligned with this increase

in funding, is a continued growth in the number

and range of products that are reaching the market.

An ongoing inventory has identified over 500

nano-enabled consumer products. However, this

is probably a significant underestimate as there

are many products that are not readily identifiable

as nano-enabled but use materials or structures

at the nanoscale. These products are finding

their way into a wide range of markets and now

encompass everything from electronics to paint,

cosmetics, and medicines. Many of these products

are still following an evolutionary path rather than

introducing revolutionary technology. It is this broad

range of applications that convinces people that

nanotechnology is the next technology revolution,

however, that revolution is now becoming reality.

So where does the UK fit into this picture? Interest

in nanotechnology continues to grow but the

UK is at a critical stage in its development of a

nanotechnology-enabled industrial base. Over

recent months, a number of UK initiatives and

activities have either finished or reached a crucial

stage in their implementation, putting the UK

at a crossroads. Back in 2003, Lord Sainsbury

announced the UK’s latest nanotechnology

initiative, an investment of $80 million into new

facilities and $100 million into research programs.

Additional support from the Regional Development

Agencies and industry increased the funding

into new facilities by a further $350 million. The

allocation of these funds is almost complete, with

23 national NanoCentres established in the key

areas of nano-micro fabrication, nanomaterials,

nanometrology, and nanobio. At the same time,

the micro- and nanotechnology (MNT) network

was established, focusing on building capability

and promoting networking across the supply side.

The MNT network is currently transitioning into a

knowledge transfer network (KTN). The challenge

of the new nanotechnology KTN is to stimulate

the user side and link the supply and demand sides

together. In addition to these initiatives reaching

a critical stage, the department for trade and

industry has been dramatically altered through the

establishment of a new strategy board and two

new departments. It is as if, after a frenzy of activity

over the last 3–4 years, everything has paused to

catch its breath. However, the rest of world is still

running.

The UK has a great opportunity to build a vibrant

industry enabled by nanotechnology and has a

number of real positives going for it. There is a very

strong academic scientific base that can compete

with the world’s best institutions and the recent

appointment of a senior strategic advisor for

nanotechnology by the Engineering and Physical

Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) will provide

a strong focus and advocate for nanotechnology

within the academic community. The number of

companies involved in nanotechnology is growing

as they look to incorporate nanotechnology into

their products and also, after a short lull, more new

start-ups are being launched.

Since the UK has a presence in almost every market

sector, the scope for using nanotechnology as

a driver for growth is significant. The European

Commission’s 7th Framework Programme has a

significantly enhanced budget for nanotechnology

and with small and medium enterprises (SMEs)

now able to claim up to 75% of eligible costs, this

will become an attractive source of development

funding. The new NanoCentres, and also the recent

significant investment in university equipment

and infrastructure, have produced a facilities base

that is at its most capable for years. The new KTN

has a mission to support the exploitation and

commercialization of MNT through informing,

linking, and facilitating innovation and collaborations

between suppliers and users with the aim of building

a vigorous UK MNT community. So it is critically

important that everyone involved in nanotechnology

recognizes that what the UK has in place now is

the platform from which to accelerate growth, but

that this will need support and encouragement from

government departments, regional development

agencies, the finance houses, and especially the

companies through their expanding supply chains.

Surfing the nanotechnology wave

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