Identifying Science and Business Issues: The Case of Nanotechnology

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Identifying Science and Business Issues The
Case of Nanotechnology

• Dr. Danial Wayner, Director General
• National Institute for Nanotechnology, Edmonton
• Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, Ottawa

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Contents
The Case of Nanotechnology

• Catching the nanotechnology wave
• Managing emerging technologies
• Business opportunities in nanotechnology
• What government can do

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Nanoresearch vs Nanotechnology
The Case of Nanotechnology

• Nanoresearch
• research at the atomic, molecular or
  macromolecular levels to
• create and use structures, devices and systems
  that have novel properties and functions with
  critical length scales typically under 100 nm
• provide fundamental understanding of phenomena
  and materials at the nanoscale in 1, 2 or 3
  dimensions

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Nanoresearch vs Nanotechnology
The Case of Nanotechnology

• Nanotechnology
• useful applications of nanoscience/engineering
  knowledge and discoveries
• integration into existing technologies
• new applications based on transformational or
  revolutionary discoveries

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The Case of Nanotechnology
networks
atoms
macro/supra molecules
systems
organism
molecules
self-organizing Assemblies
organ
Biological Complexity
tissue
cell

• Integrated Nanosystems
• Artificial organs/tissue
• Chemical information systems
• integrated with electronics
• Adaptive materials

Complexity ( of nanocomponents)
organelle
Non-Bio Complexity
protein
DNA
www
nucleic/ amino acid
electronics/ photonics
nano materials
bulk materials
0.1
1
10
100
gt108
106
107
103
Length Scale (nm)
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Catching the nanotechnology wave
The Case of Nanotechnology

• What is the wave?
• most of what we hear and see is nanoresearch
• there are increasing incremental improvements to
  traditional technologies (e.g. nanocomposites)
• some discoveries suggest discontinuities in
  product development, manufacturing paradigms
• there is a feeling that we are on the verge of
  something revolutionary but it is still not well
  defined
• Hype versus Reality
• the research and investment communities are
  fueling unreasonable expectations

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The Case of Nanotechnology
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Catching the nanotechnology wave
The Case of Nanotechnology

• How do we know it is coming?
• It is underpinned by many years of research
• It builds on a succession of high profile reports
• It requires significant capital investment in
  infrastructure and capacity building
• it promises economic impact on optimistic
  timescales

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Catching the nanotechnology wave
The Case of Nanotechnology

• Nanotechnology fits this description well
• It is based on many years of basic research in
  physics, chemistry and biology. And several major
  areas of nanotechnology still require substantial
  scientific research before commercial
  technologies will emerge.
• there are many parallels with the biotech
  revolution
• Future nanotech research and production
  facilities will require massive investments
• There are an increasing number of startups even
  though markets are not yet clearly defined

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Catching the nanotechnology wave
The Case of Nanotechnology

• Trying to catch the wave is risky!
• Anxiety over IP, wealth generation leads to
• Taking a new technology out of a university or
  government lab and into a start-up company
  before major research problems are resolved
• products without markets, markets without
  products
• unanticipated problems in scale up, moving from
  prototypes to production
• incomplete understanding of the value chain low
  ROI
• if not managed well, disillusionment/backlash
  (dot coms, photonics)

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Managing Technology Risk Some Science Policy
Issues
The Case of Nanotechnology

• National ST priorities
• defines strengths, weaknesses, opportunties,
  threats at a national level
• provides a framework within which funding
  decisions may be taken (critical mass)
• creates opportunity for organizational synergies
• Technology Clusters
• regional clusters of competing and collaborating
  firms, associated with university and government
  research facilities to share the risk and the
  rewards
• well developed receptor capacity
• spin-offs when necessary but not necessarily
  spin-offs

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Managing Technology Risk Some Science Policy
Issues
The Case of Nanotechnology

• Funding
• Provide long term funding of research into
  nanoscience in both the universities and
  government labs, e.g., NINT
• Provide other incentives to SMEs (contracts vs
  grants)
• Outreach/education
• closing the gap between science and
  business/investors
• Nano Environmental, Ethical, Economic, Legal,
  Social Implications (NE3LS)
• public rejection can derail technologies (e.g. GM
  foods)
• developing a NE3LS capacity at this early stage
  is an opportunity for Canada to establish a
  competitive edge in a global economy

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The Case of Nanotechnology
NINT Collaborative Model
NRC
ProvinceUofA
40M
Cross- Appointments
Cross- Appointments
20M
20M
40M
12M/a
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Business opportunities in nanotechnology
The Case of Nanotechnology

• Short Term (less disruptive)
• Nanomaterials
• Nanotools
• Nano-electromechanical systems
• Long Term (more disruptive)
• Nanoelectronics/quantum computing
• Bionanotechnology/personalized health care
• Integrated Nanosystems/Convergent Technologies