Nanotechnology Global Strategies, Industry Trends and Applications phần 4 pdf

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Nanotechnology in Europe

Otilia Saxl

UK Institute of Nanotechnology

3.1 The Case for the European Research Area

At the Lisbon summit in March 2000 Mr Phillippe Busquin, the European

Commissioner for Research, announced that his aim was to create a European

research area that would become the most competitive knowledge-based economy

in the world by 2010. Even as he made this statement, he was aware that this was a

very ambitious target. Using current patent data in the advanced technology sector

as an indicator, Europe falls behind both the US and Japan, holding only 9% of

patents at the US office in comparison to 57% and 22% for the US and Japan,

respectively. These ratios look a little better at the European Patent Office, where

both Europe and the US hold 36% and Japan holds 22%.

If Europe is recognised for its high standards of research, so the real problem lies

in industrial innovation or technology transfer. European performance in the field of

innovation is still too limited, and there is much work to be done before Europe can

compete, according to the vision of Mr Busquin. If future research can be moulded

to suit the technological requirements for innovation, its impact will be stronger.

This kind of research programme will have a greater impact if it is organised at the

European level to suit the requirements of globalisation and the emergence of

new markets. This is not only true for applied but also for fundamental research.

A strategic pan-Europe an research programme could pave the way for the deve￾lopment of novel products and services that would lead to the realisation of

Mr Busquin’s target.

Nanotechnology: Global Strategies, Industry Trends and Applications Edited by J. Schulte

# 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd ISBN: 0-470-85400-6 (HB)

The work programmes of the present EU framework programme are in support

of this goal and place emphasis on socio-economic impact, sustainable develop￾ment, and reduction in energy usage. Past programmes have helped to develop a

culture of scientific and technological cooperation between different EU countries.

This sixth framework programme (FP6) has been redefined and streamlined to

achieve a lasting impact and a greater coherence at the European level and to focus

efforts on fewer priorities. These priorities are in fields such as the life sciences

and biomedical technologies, advanced IT, cognitive sciences, nanotechnology,

and importantly, at their intersection. Europe recognises it will only obtain a share

of the new, developing markets if it builds up its research sector in those key

priorities by reinforcing a more intense collaboration between the academic sector

and industry.

Nanotechnology is currently receiving s400 million of public funding each year

in Europe. If regional and industry funding is added to this figure, the total could be

as much as s1.2 billion annually. In general, the new framework programme will

result in two to three times as much funding for nanotechnology compared with the

previous investment by the EU.

3.2 Why Nanotechnology?

Why is it that nanotechnology has being selected for this strategic research push

in Europe? In part, Europe is following the lead of the US and Japan, where

government funding for nanotechnology research has increased year-on-year

for over a decade. Internationally, high-profile funding for nanotechnology

followed the announcement of dedicated funding for cross-disciplinary research

under the National Nanotechnology Initiative by Bill Clinton in January 2000.

The Japanese followed by establishing the Expert Group on Nanotechnology

under the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren) Committee

on Industrial Technology to examine nanotechnology. This expert group con￾firmed the importance of nanotechnology and encouraged the development of

research programmes (www.jef.or.jp/en/jti/200109_010.html Japan Economic

Foundation).

So why nanotechnology? Government and industry view nanotechnology as

offering tremendous economic opportunities by optimising the life cycle of

materials and products, increasing productivity and, critically in Europe, breaking

the link between environmental impact and economic growth. As well as economic

impact, nanotechnology promises many exciting opportunities to dramatically

enhance healthcare and the quality of life,. The ability of scientists to visualise

and control the behaviour of materials and at the nanoscale is providing them with

the tools to develop novel products. At the nanoscale, materials contain novel and

unexpected properties providing a real opportunity to create ‘smart’ materials that

result in products with completely new functions. These products should be less

resource- and energy-intensive to produce. Through technology at the nanoscale,

the vision is that manufacturing will become steadily cleaner and greener, and

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