Tag Archives: NanoNet Ireland

Ireland’s nanotechnology scene

I missed this back when it was launched in August 2010: NanoNet Ireland. From the Jan. 17, 2011  news item on Techcentral.ie,

Organisations working with nanoscience from academia and industry have come together to form NanoNet, a single body designed to represent and promote awareness of nanotechnology.

Of €150 billion in goods and services exported by Ireland in 2008, it is estimated 10% were enabled by nanoscience and related nanotechnologies. By focusing on the area of nanotechnology there is the potential to grow this figure to 20% allowing Ireland to take a significant share of an estimated global market of €3 trillion in 2015.

NanoNet brings together the key stakeholders from [the] nano ecoysystem in Ireland which comprises academic institutions, multinational companies and indigenous Irish companies. Ireland has more than 500 companies, both multinational and indigenous, employing approximately 130,000 people in the ICT, medical devices and biopharmaceutical sectors. These companies utilise nanotechnology for continued product innovation and competitiveness.

NanoNet is made up of two major nano related consortia. INSPIRE, funded by the HEA, is comprised of internationally leading researchers across ten third level institutions and coordinated by CRANN (TCD), a Science Foundation Ireland funded Centre for Science and Engineering Technology. The recently announced Competence Centre for Applied Nanotechnology (CCAN), funded by Enterprise Ireland and the Industrial Development Agency, includes both leading multi-national companies such as Intel, Analog Devices and Seagate and indigenous Irish companies such as Creganna, Aerogen, Audit Diagnostics and Proxybiomedical. CCAN, hosted by the Tyndall National Institute at UCC and CRANN, together with INSPIRE represents an impressive Nano-ecosystem for Ireland.

In the works for Jan. 31 – Feb. 1, 2011 is a Nanoweek Conference in Carton House, Co. Kildare. From NanoNet Ireland’s Nanoweek conference webpage,

Following the success of Nanoweek 2009 and the INSPIRE-09 National Scientific Meeting, NanoNet Ireland is pleased to announce the second Nanoweek Conference, to be held from the 31st January – 1st February 2011 in Carton House, Co. Kildare.

Nanotechnology is now impacting products and businesses in most major industry sectors. This event will bring together leading Irish and international nanoscience researchers and invited speakers with direct experience in building technology companies from world class nanotechnology research.

The conference will also allow researchers to identify and interact with other leading nanotechnology researchers from Irish research institutes, to meet with funding agency representatives, and to network with and present their work to potential industry partners.

Questions addressed

For researchers

What nanoscience areas are viewed as key for commercial success? Who is working in these areas in Ireland? I want to commercialise my research – what are the first steps I should take? What funding is available? What opportunities exist for collaboration? What expertise are companies seeking? What is the international view of nanoscience commercialisation? What is best practice in technology transfer? What changes have taken place in the funding landscape? – the funding agencies’ view?

For industry attendees

How can nanotechnology help my business? How can nanotechnology improve my competitiveness? How are companies currently using nanotechnology? What nanotechnology expertise is currently available in Ireland? How do I access it? How can I get financial support for the work?

For everyone

How have nanotechnology-enabled ideas been commercialised? Where are the market opportunities? What are the hurdles? What is the investor viewpoint?

Delegate Profiles

Product developers and designers from the medical device, diagnostics and ICT industries.

Manufacturing and quality engineers keen to learn how advanced characterisation tools can help troubleshoot product issues more efficiently.

Nanoscience researchers keen to understand the leading new nanoscience research topics, meet the researchers, understand the commercial possibilities and processes, and network with potential industry partners promote and develop commercial potential of their research.

Investment professionals seeking business opportunities from nanotechnology

I last posted about some of the nanotechnology initiatives in Ireland, Oct. 27, 2010.