Alberta Nanotechnology Strategyeconomic.alberta.ca/documents/nano_strategy_complete.pdf · The...
Transcript of Alberta Nanotechnology Strategyeconomic.alberta.ca/documents/nano_strategy_complete.pdf · The...
When asked what he would do today ifhe were to start another business from hisuniversity dorm? “Nanotechnology”.
Michael Dell, ChairmanDell Computer Corporation
When asked what growth business hewould start from scratch today?“Nanotechnology”.
Jeff Bezos, CEOAmazon.com
Cover Photo - Source: Buriak Group, National Institute for Nanotechnology
ALBERTA ADVANCED EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA
Alberta. Alberta Advanced Education and Technology.Alberta Nanotechnology Strategy : [Unleashing Alberta’s Potential].
ISBN 978-0-7785-6153-8
1. Nanotechnology – Alberta. I. Title.
T174.7.A333 2007 620.5
Printed in Canada April 2007
Alb
erta
’s s
ucce
ss in
ap
ply
ing
scie
nce,
res
earc
h an
d te
chno
logy
has
put
the
pro
vinc
e at
the
for
efro
nt in
ene
rgy,
for
estr
y,
agric
ultu
re a
nd m
edic
al a
dvan
ces.
The
prov
ince
lead
s C
anad
a in
mos
t ec
onom
ic in
dica
tors
, inc
ludi
ng
grow
th,
emp
loym
ent,
pro
duct
ivity
, av
erag
e fa
mily
inco
me
and
stan
dard
of
livin
g.
To c
ontin
ue t
o p
rosp
er,
Alb
erta
ns m
ust
fully
par
ticip
ate
in t
he
opp
ortu
nitie
s th
at n
anot
echn
olog
y of
fers
, as
Alb
erta
’s p
rimar
y
indu
strie
s w
ill n
eed
to e
mbr
ace
nano
tech
nolo
gy a
pp
licat
ions
to r
emai
n on
the
lead
ing
edge
and
sta
y co
mp
etiti
ve.
Enco
urag
ing
the
deve
lop
men
t of
new
bus
ines
ses
invo
lved
in
nano
tech
nolo
gy w
ill h
elp
to
ensu
re t
hat
Alb
erta
is c
omp
etiti
ve
in g
loba
l mar
kets
and
pro
vide
s hi
gh q
ualit
y jo
bs f
or f
utur
e
gene
ratio
ns.
Unl
eash
ing
Alb
erta
’s P
oten
tial
The
visi
on f
or A
lber
ta in
nan
otec
hnol
ogy
is t
hat:
Alb
erta
will
be
a le
adin
g c
on
trib
uto
r in
pla
cin
g C
anad
a am
on
gst
th
e
top
fiv
e n
atio
ns
in t
he
wo
rld
by
hel
pin
g it
pro
duc
e 10
per
cen
t o
f th
e
wo
rld
’s n
ano
tech
no
log
y b
ased
eco
no
mic
act
ivit
y.
Alb
erta
’s m
issi
on is
tha
t:
By
2020
, A
lber
ta w
ill a
chie
ve a
tw
o p
er c
ent
shar
e o
f th
e g
lob
al
nan
ote
chn
olo
gy
mar
ket
– g
ener
atin
g a
n e
stim
ated
$20
bill
ion
of
new
eco
no
mic
act
ivit
y –
by
dev
elo
pin
g n
ano
en
able
d p
rod
ucts
an
d
app
licat
ion
s sp
ecif
ic t
o in
dus
trie
s in
th
e en
erg
y an
d e
nvi
ron
men
t,
hea
lth
an
d m
edic
al t
ech
no
log
ies,
an
d a
gri
cult
ure
and
fo
rest
ry s
ecto
rs.
Alb
erta
ns e
xpec
t th
eir
gove
rnm
ent
to s
upp
ort
a fr
amew
ork
for
succ
ess.
To
do s
o,
gove
rnm
ent
is p
rovi
ding
too
ls t
o m
eet
the
dem
ands
of
the
21st
cen
tury
kno
wle
dge-
driv
en
econ
omy,
suc
h as
res
earc
h, in
nova
tion
and
sup
por
t fo
r de
velo
pm
ent
of n
ew t
echn
olog
ies
and
pro
cess
es.
They
exp
ect
thei
r go
vern
men
t to
pro
vide
the
infr
astr
uctu
re n
eede
d fo
r gr
owth
and
pros
perit
y, a
nd a
lso
to p
rote
ct t
he e
nviro
nmen
t, s
o th
at t
here
is s
afe
wat
er, a
ir an
d
land
tod
ay a
nd t
omor
row
.
Goo
d he
alth
is a
pri
orit
y fo
r A
lber
tans
. So
is a
hea
lthy
envi
ronm
ent
and
a he
alth
y, k
now
ledg
e-ba
sed
econ
omy.
Adv
anci
ng n
anot
echn
olog
y in
Alb
erta
will
hel
p m
eet
thes
e go
als.
Toda
y’s
Opp
ortu
nitie
s, T
omor
row
’s P
rom
ise
lays
out
a c
ours
e fo
r A
lber
ta f
or t
he n
ext
20 y
ears
to
ensu
re c
ontin
uing
pro
sper
ity.
The
four
str
ateg
ic p
illar
s ar
e:
unle
ashi
ng in
nova
tion
lead
ing
in le
arni
ng
com
pet
ing
in t
he g
loba
l mar
ketp
lace
mak
ing
Alb
erta
the
bes
t p
lace
to
live,
wor
k an
d vi
sit.
Prov
idin
g a
plac
e to
exch
ange
idea
s w
ith
othe
rw
orld
-cla
ss n
ano
expe
rts
will
kee
p th
e pr
ovin
ce
at t
he f
oref
ront
of
both
nano
tech
nolo
gy r
esea
rch
and
indu
stry
gro
wth
.
This
nan
otec
hnol
ogy
stra
tegy
com
ple
men
ts
the
prov
ince
’s lo
ng r
ange
pla
ns f
or g
row
th o
f
a kn
owle
dge-
base
d ec
onom
y. It
als
o re
flect
s
the
opp
ortu
nitie
s th
at n
anot
echn
olog
y
pro
vide
s to
mee
t th
e ob
ject
ives
of
the
Acce
lera
ting
Inno
vatio
n in
Alb
erta
stra
tegy
,
the
Wat
er fo
r Li
fest
rate
gy,
and
the
ener
gy,
info
rmat
ion
and
com
mun
icat
ions
tec
hnol
ogy
(IC
T) a
nd li
fe s
cien
ces
stra
tegi
es.
Vis
ion
& M
issi
on
Mee
ting
the
Pri
orit
ies
of A
lber
tans
In n
atur
e, n
anos
cale
des
ign,
tec
hniq
ues
and
prin
cip
les
are
resp
onsi
ble
for
phe
nom
ena
such
as
a ge
cko’
s ab
ility
to
wal
k
upsi
de d
own
on a
ny s
urfa
ce -
due
to
nano
hai
rs o
n its
fee
t ca
lled
spat
ulae
. Th
e re
gene
ratio
n of
bro
ken
hum
an b
ones
is a
n ex
amp
le
of n
atur
e’s
self-
asse
mbl
ing
nano
scal
e st
ruct
ural
pro
cess
es.
Dep
endi
ng o
n th
eir
size
, go
ld n
anop
artic
les
are
resp
onsi
ble
for
the
red,
blu
e or
gol
d co
lour
s in
sta
ined
gla
ss in
med
ieva
l
cath
edra
ls a
nd m
oder
n ar
t gl
ass.
Nan
o –
Wha
t is
it?
While nanoscale is not new in nature, in areas such as engineering,
physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology, the deliberate engineering
of materials at the nanoscale – nanotechnology – is new.
Nanotechnology research, such as that undertaken at the National Institute for
Nanotechnology (NINT) in Edmonton, Alberta, explores the unique properties of
biological structures and engineered materials at an atomic and molecular scale to
find out how changing the structure, size or chemical composition creates an
improved or significantly different and beneficial application.
To be a world leader in unlocking the secrets of nanoscale particles, Alberta needs
to attract the best and brightest in many disciplines, from our home-grown students
to world renowned researchers. As the home of NINT, and an emerging nano- and
micro-electromechanical systems (NEMS/MEMS) industry, Alberta is strongly positioned
and is quickly becoming an international centre of excellence for nanotechnology.
Working together, NINT and the University of Alberta are attracting leading experts
from various nano specializations around the world and linking them together into
one multi-disciplinary research system. Developing this critical mass is providing the
optimal conditions for discovery and for speeding up the cycle of innovation.
To take advantage of the province’s traditional economic strengths, the Alberta
Nanotechnology Strategy focuses on improving the products and processes which
have already established Alberta as a global competitor.
The prefix “nano” is used in the metric system to refer to"billionth"; a nanometre (nm) is one-billionth of a metre.
For example:
Normal office paper is about 100,000 nm thick.A human hair is about 50,000 nm wide.A drop of blood contains 5 million red blood cells - the diameter of one red blood cell is 2500 nm.
At a small enoughscale, matter obeys adifferent set of rules.
Where Science & Industry Converge
At nanoscale, medicine, engineering, physics, chemistry, biology
and other disciplines overlap, making collaboration on common
challenges possible.
By 2020, structural materials and composites, packaging and protective
materials, devices and sensors and modeling software are expected to
evolve as the largest sub-sectors of nanotechnology. Beyond 2020, it is
anticipated that agriculture, biotechnology, health and medical, and
information technology applications will flourish.
Global Nanotechnology Market(US $1 trillion by 2020)
Source: Projected from RNCOS market share, expenditure, and patent data - 2005
Based on current investment and patent information, it isanticipated that the globalnanotechnology market will bedominated by the United States,Japan, Germany and China, withthe potential of Canada buildingto a 10 per cent share worth anestimated $100 billion by 2020.
Other - 2%
USA - 33%
Japan - 21%
Taiwan - 6%
Canada - 10%
China - 13%
Germany - 15%
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYCOMPUTER SCIENCEELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
MATERIAL SCIENCESQUANTUM PHYSICSMECH. ENGINEERING
LIFE SCIENCESCHEMISTRYBIOTECHNOLOGY
Technology Convergence at the Molecular Level
Nanotechnology is not anindustry unto itself; rather, a series of advancedtechnologies that cangreatly improve productsand processes in existingindustries and, through theconvergence with informationtechnology, biotechnologyand other technologies, has the potential to createentirely new industries.
Ben
efit
s to
Alb
erta
ns
The
abi
lity
to c
ontr
olth
e la
yeri
ng o
f at
oms
has
Alb
erta
nan
oex
pert
s ex
plor
ing
inte
rdis
cipl
inar
yap
plic
atio
ns s
uch
as u
sing
mag
neti
cch
arge
s to
sep
arat
eco
ntam
inan
ts f
rom
wat
er o
r to
con
trol
the
grow
th o
f m
etal
son
sem
icon
duct
ors
for
fast
er, m
ore
secu
re a
pplic
atio
ns.
The
Alb
erta
Nan
ote
chn
olo
gy
Stra
teg
y b
uild
s o
n t
he
pro
vin
ce’s
inve
stm
ents
in in
fras
truc
ture
an
d p
eop
le t
o h
elp
Alb
erta
com
pet
e
at a
glo
bal
leve
l.
The
stra
tegy
offe
rs a
blu
eprin
t to
max
imiz
e th
e p
oten
tial o
f na
note
chno
logy
to e
xpan
d A
lber
ta’s
lead
ing
sect
ors,
incr
ease
val
ue-a
dded
act
ivity
and
cre
ate
new
are
as o
f ec
onom
ic d
iver
sity
.
This
ap
pro
ach
to a
dvan
cing
nan
otec
hnol
ogy
in A
lber
ta w
ill p
rodu
ce
sign
ifica
nt g
ains
for
the
pro
vinc
e. T
he m
ost
sign
ifica
nt g
ains
are
ant
icip
ated
in t
he a
reas
of:
Ene
rgy
and
Env
iron
men
t
Hea
lth
and
Med
ical
Tec
hnol
ogie
s
Agr
icul
ture
and
For
estr
y
The
stra
tegy
foc
uses
on
solv
ing
maj
or g
loba
l cha
lleng
es t
hat
have
sp
ecifi
c
rele
vanc
e in
Alb
erta
.
The
stra
tegy
enh
ance
s th
e co
mm
erci
aliz
atio
n p
oten
tial o
f ou
r in
vest
men
t
in r
esea
rch
acro
ss d
isci
plin
es.
The
stra
tegy
att
ract
s th
e br
ight
est
min
ds a
nd b
uild
s a
prov
ince
of r
esea
rche
rs,
inno
vato
rs,
entr
epre
neur
s an
d le
ader
s.
The
stra
tegy
pla
ces
Alb
erta
, an
d C
anad
a, a
t th
e fo
refr
ont
of in
nova
tion
and
as a
lead
er in
usi
ng s
cien
ce t
o so
lve
glob
al c
halle
nges
.
The
mat
eria
ls a
nd d
evic
es d
evel
oped
by
Alb
erta
’s ‘n
anoe
lect
roni
c’ e
xper
ts a
re e
xpec
ted
to le
ad t
o sm
alle
r, sm
arte
r an
d sp
eedi
er c
ircui
ts
for
ente
rtai
nmen
t, c
omm
unic
atio
ns a
nd
med
ical
ap
plic
atio
ns.
Sour
ce:
Mas
ato
Aiz
awa/
Jilli
an B
uria
k
By 2
005,
abo
ut 1
20 C
anad
ian
com
pan
ies
wer
e in
volv
ed in
nano
tech
nolo
gy d
evel
opm
ent.
Alb
erta
, w
ith it
s im
pro
ving
res
earc
h in
fras
truc
ture
, ha
s be
en
a si
gnifi
cant
con
trib
utor
to
the
nano
tech
nolo
gy a
gend
a ac
ross
the
coun
try
and
is in
crea
sing
ly r
ecog
nize
d as
an
emer
ging
nano
tech
nolo
gy c
entr
e of
exc
elle
nce.
The
Alb
erta
Nan
otec
hnol
ogy
Stra
tegy
op
ens
opp
ortu
nitie
s
to a
ccel
erat
e th
e cy
cle
of in
nova
tion.
It c
reat
es t
he f
ound
atio
n
for
an A
lber
ta n
anot
echn
olog
y co
mm
unity
thr
ough
str
ong
colla
bora
tions
bet
wee
n in
dust
ry,
acad
emia
and
gov
ernm
ent.
The
follo
win
g st
rate
gies
are
pro
pos
ed t
o ac
com
plis
h th
e vi
sion
and
achi
eve
the
mis
sion
for
suc
cess
ful n
anot
echn
olog
y
deve
lop
men
t in
Alb
erta
.
The
Alb
erta
N
anot
echn
olog
y St
rate
gy
Strategy One
Grow and develop a new generation of businesses andentrepreneurs that commercialize nanotechnology solutions
Collaborate with industry to determine effective approaches to develop
nanotechnology applications in identified priority sectors: energy and
environment; health and medical technologies; agriculture and forestry.
Create an Industrial Applied Research Partnership Program to fund
nanotechnology research initiatives jointly with industry.
Establish programs to engage students from technical institutions in
technology development with NINT and universities.
Create a Nano Entrepreneur Program to mentor and train nanotechnology
experts in business principles, help inform business people interested in
nanotechnology ventures, and to advise them on the market potential and
opportunities for their new nanotechnology products and processes.
Build a Nano Entrepreneurs Club that would bring together innovators
and investors to build partnerships, share experiences and identify gaps
in the Alberta system.
Establish an annual Alberta Nano Venture Prize to be awarded to a start-
up company with a solid business case, and a demonstrated nano related
technology focused on Alberta’s priorities that would be prototyped and
manufactured in Alberta facilities.
Theoretically, carbon nanotubes are 100 times
stronger than steel yet have only one sixth the
weight. Adding carbon nanotubes to materials
like plastic, ceramics and metals may one day
make such materials stronger, harder and
longer lasting.
Source: Yuan Gao/Jillian Buriak
Nano structuredcoatings and nanoengineered surfacetreatments areimproving theperformance ofthousands of medicalimplants annually,including orthopedicprosthetics, medicalcatheters, andcardiovascular grafts.
Strategy Two
Build, attract and retain world-class, quality talent
Establish a graduate student scholarship program for basic and applied
nanotechnology research in Alberta’s priority sectors: Energy and Environment;
Health and Medical Technologies; and Agriculture and Forestry.
Expand training capacity to include an additional 100 nanotechnology
students each year for five years, to meet industry requirements for growth.
Recruit and retain world-class research, product design and management
talent to Alberta.
Increase nanotechnology awareness and hands-on learning opportunities
in K-12 programs to expose Alberta’s youth to the fundamentals of engineering
and applied sciences.
Develop monthly lecture and discussion series led by researchers, industry
leaders, ethicists, and thought leaders to increase public awareness,
engagement and discussion on nanotechnology issues.
Alberta’s investment in innovation has turned
what was an unreachable bog little more than
50 years ago into what is now recognized as
one of the richest, most vast and potentially
productive oil deposits in the world.
Source: Masato Aizawa/Jillian Buriak
Strategy Three
Take advantage of, and continue to enhance and develop, Alberta’s nanotechnology infrastructure andintellectual capital resources to capture its commercialpotential and applications
Invest in an open-use nano packaging and product development center
to provide low-volume manufacturing and testing facilities for entrepreneurs
and industry partners.
Enhance the capability and capacity of key facilities such as the NanoFab
facility and the Advanced Microsystems Integration Facility (AMIF) to support
on-going development and facilitate open access.
Increase the operating budget for Microsystems Technology Research
Initiative (MSTRI) prototype development activities to meet market demand.
Create an operating support program to ensure the maintenance,
replacement and ongoing operation of necessary equipment for core facilities.
Scaling technologyto smaller andsmaller sizes reducescosts and increasesperformance,creating competitiveadvantages.
Source: NanoFab, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta
nanoAlberta will promote industry-academic
collaboration, attract private investment and
foster the formation of industrial clusters to
enable decision makers to identify market
opportunities in specific sectors.
nanoAlberta
The Alberta Nanotechnology Strategy is driven by the current opportunity
to provide technology solutions to the challenges facing Alberta industries,
by the potential to attract major multi-national companies to Alberta, and
by the lasting benefits of helping nanotechnology companies get started.
To lead the collaborative efforts a new organization, nanoAlberta, would be
created based on the following principles:
Engagement of key stakeholders to mobilize the main players and
resources in the province
Strong industry focus and involvement to ensure that outputs meet
industry needs and benefit the Alberta economy
Leverage existing investments, mechanisms and organizations; and
Build on existing and emerging strengths.
The core of nanoAlberta is a board of stakeholders to provide vision, mission
and strategic leadership. The board would include members of NanoMEMS
Alberta and the Alberta Science and Research Authority (ASRA) nanostrategy
planning committee. Other members representing industry members would
add important insight into their respective industry issues and challenges,
and representatives of organizations such as NINT, universities, research
foundations, all levels of government and industry agencies focused on
technology development and commercialization.
Many nanoAlbertaprograms will flowthrough existinggovernmentprograms. Thisintegration will:
Ensure a highdegree of policyalignment
Minimize thebarriers toimplementation
Reduce duplication
nanoAlberta would be operated under Alberta Advanced Education and
Technology much like the ASRA research institutes, to maximize synergies
and administration resources.
Wherever possible, nanoAlberta would work with existing programs
and organizations to minimize personnel and infrastructure in:
Providing advice and support on training, scholarship and fellowship
programs to be implemented by the province’s universities, colleges
and technical institutes working with Alberta Advanced Education
and Technology;
Encouraging new research and development initiatives aligned
with industry technology needs. Actions could be structured and
implemented under Alberta Ingenuity, possibly in collaboration with
the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR); and
Enhancing collaboration, coordination and oversight for an integrated
suite of business-related programs in the design, development,
fabrication and packaging of nano products. Implementation would
be undertaken through new and existing organizations and facilities
such as MSTRI, NanoFab and the nano product development centre.
nanoAlberta would provide functions including sectoral analysis, community
outreach, single point of contact for external and internal entities, and
monitoring of program reports and expenditures.
nanoAlberta
Dev
elop
men
ts in
nan
otec
hnol
ogy
may
lead
to
mem
ory
chip
s th
at w
ill s
tore
as
muc
h as
, or
mor
e, t
han
100
GB
per
car
d. T
hese
min
iatu
re
data
sto
rage
sys
tem
s co
uld
stor
e en
tire
libra
ries
of d
ocum
ents
or
hund
reds
of
hour
s of
mov
ies.
Sour
ce:
Mas
ato
Aiz
awa/
Jilli
an B
uria
k
Inte
llige
nt c
loth
ing
mea
sure
sp
ulse
and
res
pira
tion
1
2
3
45
6
78
9
10
11
Hip
join
t m
ade
from
bioc
omp
atib
le m
ater
ials
Org
anic
Lig
ht E
mitt
ing
Dio
des
(OLE
Ds)
for
dis
pla
ys
Phot
ovol
taic
film
tha
tco
nver
ts li
ght
into
ele
ctric
ity
Scra
tch-
pro
of c
oate
d w
indo
ws
that
cle
an t
hem
selv
es w
ith U
V
Ther
mo-
chro
mic
gla
ssto
reg
ulat
e lig
ht
Nan
o-p
artic
le p
aint
to
pre
vent
cor
rosi
on
Fabr
ics
coat
ed t
o re
sist
sta
ins
and
odor
and
con
trol
tem
per
atur
e
Mag
netic
laye
rs f
orco
mp
act
data
mem
ory
Car
bon
nano
tube
fue
lce
lls t
o p
ower
ele
ctro
nics
and
vehi
cles
Nan
o en
gine
ered
coch
lear
imp
lant
The following performance measures should be given serious
consideration in assessing the progress towards achieving the mission:
Percentage of graduates from Alberta’s post-secondary institutions in nanotechnology
taking their first job within Alberta, and remaining within the region after five years;
Number of nanotechnology-related firms, employees, sales, IPO value;
Venture and angel funds invested in Alberta-based nanotechnology-related firms;
Number of nano related technologies transferred to industry, and the estimated ROI;
Percentage of nano related research and development initiatives co-financed
by industry
As more is learned about how the “science of small”can be applied to opportunities and challenges in today’sworld, nanotechnology will drastically transform thebasis of global competition for existing companies andwill lead to the creation of entirely new industries.
The Canadian Nano Landscape
It is anticipated that Canada will develop a National Nanotechnology
Strategy to leverage the different strengths and expertise that exist across
the provinces currently expanding nanotechnology capacity.
By acting now, Alberta can influence the development of the national
nanotechnology strategy and be a key contributor to collaboration between
independent areas of excellence.
In addition to Alberta, three provinces are investing significantly in
nanotechnology and may be expected to take leadership roles in areas
of excellence that reflect their current industrial strengths. Quebec has
established numerous alliances with industry and other research institutions
in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, aerospace and paper products. Ontario
is building deep competencies in nanotechnology-based materials, optical
communications and medical devices which support its existing industrial
strengths in medicine, telecommunications, manufacturing and automotives.
British Columbia’s nanotechnology strategy has identified information
technology and quantum computing as the primary focus for growth.
As home to the National Institute for Nanotechnology, Alberta can help
accelerate the discovery process and build expertise in fields that are
important to all Canadians by spurring collaboration among the university,
business and research communities. Alberta will focus on nanotechnology
as it applies to energy and environment, health and medical technologies,
and agriculture and forestry.
Inte
rnat
iona
l Inv
estm
ent
Tre
nds
Nan
ote
chn
olo
gy
is c
on
sid
ered
by
man
y to
be
the
cata
lyst
fo
r so
cial
and
eco
no
mic
imp
acts
larg
er t
han
th
ose
of
the
com
put
er r
evo
luti
on
.
Exp
on
enti
al g
row
th is
on
th
e h
ori
zon
.
Ove
r $3
bill
ion
per
yea
r in
bas
ic a
nd a
pp
lied
rese
arch
is b
eing
inve
sted
at
univ
ersi
ties
and
rese
arch
inst
itute
s in
Asi
a, E
urop
e an
d N
orth
Am
eric
a, a
nd
an e
stim
ated
$1.
6 bi
llion
per
yea
r of
priv
ate
cap
ital i
s be
ing
inve
sted
in
glob
al o
rgan
izat
ions
with
a n
anot
echn
olog
y fo
cus.
Ap
plic
atio
ns in
med
icin
e, h
ealth
, en
gine
erin
g, e
nerg
y, a
gric
ultu
re,
fore
stry
, en
viro
nmen
t, a
nd o
ther
s ar
e al
l em
ergi
ng a
s p
oten
tial m
ulti-
billi
on
dolla
r m
arke
ts.
The
race
to
cap
ture
par
t of
the
est
imat
ed U
S$1
trill
ion
glob
al m
arke
t by
2020
is o
n. T
o ac
hiev
e th
e gr
eate
st m
arke
t sh
are
with
ava
ilabl
e re
sour
ces,
mos
t re
gion
s ar
e ta
rget
ing
thei
r ap
pro
ach
to a
lign
with
exi
stin
g ex
per
tise.
Exam
ple
s of
suc
cess
ful r
egio
nal s
trat
egie
s in
clud
e: G
erm
any’
s fo
cus
on
sens
ors
in t
he a
utom
otiv
e in
dust
ry, T
aiw
an’s
foc
us o
n in
form
atio
n te
chno
logy
in t
he s
emic
ondu
ctor
indu
stry
, an
d Is
rael
’s f
ocus
on
wat
er r
emed
iatio
n
thro
ugh
film
s an
d m
embr
anes
. O
nly
Jap
an a
nd t
he U
nite
d St
ates
are
tak
ing
a br
oade
r ap
pro
ach.
Posit
ioni
ng A
lber
ta -
and
Can
ada
- as
an
inte
rnat
iona
l lea
der
in n
anot
echn
olog
y
is a
sub
stan
tial u
nder
taki
ng.
Ach
ievi
ng a
tw
o p
er c
ent
shar
e of
the
glo
bal
nano
tech
nolo
gy m
arke
t w
ill r
equi
re s
igni
fican
t fr
ont-
end
inve
stm
ent
in
rese
arch
and
mar
ket
deve
lop
men
t to
com
pet
e an
d ex
cel i
n w
orld
mar
kets
.
Aft
er r
ough
ly 2
0 ye
ars
of d
isco
very
and
appl
icat
ions
, abo
ut30
0 co
nsum
erpr
oduc
ts, i
nclu
ding
suns
cree
n, g
olf
club
s,pr
int
head
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in
k-je
t pr
inte
rs
and
com
pone
nts
ofau
tom
otiv
e ai
rbag
safe
ty s
yste
ms,
ar
e cu
rren
tly
inco
rpor
atin
gm
ater
ials
impr
oved
by n
anot
echn
olog
y.
Gov
ernm
ent
Res
earc
h an
d D
evel
opm
ent
Nan
o Fu
ndin
g*N
anot
echn
olog
y or
nea
r-na
note
chno
logy
foc
us
Sour
ce:
Mas
ato
Aiz
awa/
Jilli
an B
uria
k
* So
urce
: SC
I (p
ublic
atio
n da
ta)
and
USP
TO
(pa
tent
dat
a) 2
005
1,00
0,00
0,00
0
800,
000,
000
600,
000,
000
400,
000,
000
200,
000,
000 0
United States
Taiwan
Switzerland
South Korea
Japan
Israel
Germany
Canada
Australia
The
succ
ess
of t
his
stra
tegy
mus
t be
ass
esse
d ov
er t
ime
to
eval
uate
the
imp
lem
enta
tion
of t
he s
trat
egy,
the
out
com
es
and
imp
act
for
the
pro
vinc
e.
Mea
sure
s of
Suc
cess
Alberta is well-positioned for global success through the National
Institute for Nanotechnology and its universities. It has small, but
growing nano and micro technology industries. The province is
investing significant resources in key components of nanotechnology
infrastructure.
Adoption of nanotechnology in Alberta’s primary industries is
becoming critical for international productivity, competitiveness
and relevance.
Providing a platform from which Albertans can better understand
and support nanotechnology research, development and
applications is an important step.
Implementing the Alberta Nanotechnology Strategy and establishing
nanoAlberta will attract new companies to Alberta and help to
ensure sustainable growth in existing industries. In developing
new, globally competitive nanotechnology companies, Alberta
will continue to be a leading economic force in North America,
and remain prosperous and innovative for generations to come.
Summary
Since 2001, Alberta has achieved much; examples include:
Strategic partnerships and investments
Jointly owned and operated $120 million National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT)
at the University of Alberta
One-of-a-kind transmission electron microscope secured for NINT
NINT Innovation Centre devoted to attracting and facilitating commercialization
of nanotechnology and related technologies
Advanced simulation and modeling data centre at the University of Calgary
Open-access NanoFabrication Facility at University of Alberta
Advanced Microelectronics Integration Facility at University of Calgary
Centre of Excellence in Integrated NanoTools (CEIN) in partnership with Sun
Microsystems as part of Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility (INRF)
Collaborative research partnership with University of Alberta and National Laboratories
in China focusing on nanotechnology, environment and energy
Nanoscale sensor research initiative with Hewlett Packard
COMS2004 Conference bringing the NanoMEMS world to Alberta
The annual Canada Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Forum held in Edmonton
in 2004 and 2006
Exploring and marketing new applications
Biomedical device and microsurgical robot trials at Foothills Medical Centre
Cost-effective hand-held tools for cancer detection and treatment through the Alberta
Cancer Diagnostic Consortium
Molecular transistors to revolutionize electronic miniaturization
Swallowable “smart” MEMS pills for real-time internal monitoring
Mass production of silver coated wound dressings and pipeline coatings
Large scale production of metal coatings and advanced coating powders
Integrated MEMS sensors with industry-specific GPS and wireless devices
Custom micromachining, thin film deposition and test/assembly capacity
Next generation MEMS-based surveying for Oil and Gas exploration and recovery
Establishment of over 45 private companies with nano based applications
Appendix: Alberta Momentum
The primary goal of this strategy is to create opportunities for Albertans through building a
sustainable national competitive advantage. The recommendations were derived from three
sources: (1) members of the nanotechnology community, (2) secondary industry, regional
and trend information accessible in the public domain, and (3) interviews conducted with
members of the nanotechnology and technology commercialization value chain, including
leaders from:
Alberta Science and Research Authority
Alberta Advanced Education and Technology
Alberta Research Institutes – Energy, ICT and Life Sciences
Alberta Ingenuity Fund
Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research
Alberta Research Council
Medical and health products industry
Nanotechnology industry and MEMS industry
Biotechnology and Information and Communications Technology Industry
Angel, private equity and venture capital experts
National Institute for Nanotechnology
National Research Council
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Alberta’s Regional Health Authorities
Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) West
Informatics Circle of Research Excellence (iCORE)
University of Calgary, University of Alberta and University of Lethbridge
Northern and Southern Alberta Institutes of Technology (NAIT and SAIT)
TEC Edmonton
University Technologies International Inc.
Appendix: What We Heard
Canada’s $52.2 million National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) in Edmonton, Alberta is one ofthe world’s most technologically advanced research facilities. Designed to provide the essential environmentfor nanoscale research and to foster collaboration between researchers, it includes 'Canada's quietestspace', which for scientists means a place with ultra-low vibration and minimal acoustical noise orelectro-magnetic interference. The facility is home to more than $40 million of the latest generation of scientific equipment including electron and scanning probe microscopes, and chemical and materialanalysis instruments. There are already over 185 research and technical support staff working on suchchallenges at the National Institute for Nanotechnology.
The building is shared by the National Research Council (NRC) National Institute for Nanotechnologyand the University of Alberta and includes the NINT Innovation Centre, a research transfer facility wheretenants working on commercializing nanotechnology will lease both lab and office space. Other specializedspaces include: laboratories for chemical and biochemical synthesis and analysis of the material structureat the atomic scale; and a Class 1000 clean room for the production of nano structured systems.
The Government of Alberta provided $47.4 million for the building and equipment as a part of theircommitment to the NINT facilities, and the University of Alberta provided $12.6 million in support. Theremaining funding, approximately $70 million in total, came from the Government of Canada throughthe NRC, Western Economic Diversification Canada and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.