News

20 July 2007

Nanotech.org

Nanomarkets predicts that the market for printed and organic lighting will exceed $2.9 billion (€2.1 billion) by 2012. The report claims that the higher energy efficiencies and the ability to create novel lighting products provided by OLED and carbon nanotubes in particular will push the market up to $5 billion by 2014. Analysts believe that much of the CNT lighting will be printed and will include products such as transparent signage.

Instrument maker Keithley, US, has teamed up with CEA Leti, France – a major European electronics facility – to pursue nanotechnology and semiconductor materials research. Under the joint development partnership, Keithley and CEA Leti will develop methods for characterizing advanced semiconductor materials and devices that support DC, high frequency and RF-level signals on both micro- and nano-level structures.

Industrial Nanotech continues to roll out new applications for its nanotechnology-based speciality coatings technology. This week, the firm announced "Nansulate Aqua" – a thermally insulating, corrosion resistant coating for use on underwater oil and gas pipelines.

Nanomedicine

Z-Medica has launched two rapid blood-clotting products for sports and adventure enthusiasts following its success in the military and security sector. QuikClot Sport and QuikClot Silver consist of molecular sieve-like material enclosed in porous surgical fabric, which are packed into the wound to accelerate clotting and control bleeding.

Nanogen has begun shipment of its congestive heart failure (CHF) product. Dubbed StatusFirst, the CHF test measures circulating levels of NT-proBNP, a biomarker for heart disease, and returns a quantitative assessment in as little as 15 minutes via a low-cost reader. According to the firm, the market for cardiac diagnostics is expected to exceed $500 million (€360 million) annually in the next five years.

Plasma-coated yarns for medical applications will be under the spotlight at this year's NanoEurope event in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Plasma-coated yarns have applications in operating room clothing thanks to their anti-static and anti-bacterial properties. Other uses include the integration of electrodes within fabric for long-term electrocardiogram measurements.

Technology

Carl Zeiss has shipped what it claims is the world's first ORION helium ion microscope to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. The device uses a beam of helium ions rather than electrons to deliver higher resolution images with greatly improved material contrast, says the firm.

Carl Zeiss SMT has acquired 100% of the shares of ALIS Corporation, Peabody, USA for its Nano Technology Systems Division (NTS). ALIS´ newly developed helium ion microscopy technology will add an important building block to Carl Zeiss SMT´s existing portfolio of charged-particle technologies aimed at nano-scale imaging, structuring and analysis applications. The acquisition of ALIS Corporation further expands Carl Zeiss SMT´s global leadership position as enabler for industrial nanotechnology solutions and academic research.

First nano has introduced a solid source deposition system specifically designed for the production of semiconducting nanowires. According to the firm, the improved temperature control of its ET2000-SS and ET3000-SS units together with their increased capacity marks the first step in bringing semiconducting nanowires up to full production levels.

People

Nanosensors, has appointed Robert Coutu, the current president of Ocean Fresh Seafood, to its board of directors. Nanosensors is developing a biosensor for the seafood industry and believes that Coutu's market knowledge will be invaluable.

Global Crown Capital has hired John Roy to strengthen its activity in the nanotechnology sector. Previously, he was senior research analyst covering alternative energy and nanotechnology at WR Hambrecht and before that Roy headed up Merrill Lynch's nanotechnology efforts.

'Investing in Medical Nanotechnologies II', 28-29 November 2007: The Royal College of Surgeon's, London

Building on the success of Investing in Medical Nanotechnologies I, this event promises a display of state-of-the-art medical nanotechnologies and routes to finance. The associated exhibition will showcase cutting edge nanotechnologies in clinical applications.

The event will provide a platform for new companies trying to commercialize nano and micro technologies to get in front of investors. The investors and business support organisations will be able to identify the key technologies of future as well as new customers. Investing in Medical Nanotechnologies -2006 attracted a huge number of companies including large corporations (Philips, Siemens, GE, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, BASF etc.), small companies, investors, academics, patent and trademark attorneys and other stakeholders. It was an excellent event which gave an insight into the latest technological developments in the area and provided fabulous networking opportunities for the stakeholders.

To know more about last conference and the list of major companies attended, visit: www.nanomednet.org/conference

Poster Exhibition Opportunities:

An opportunity for all delegates to showcase their Research & Development to potential partners, investors and customers. To apply, send a short abstract (no more than 300 words) to Tiju Joseph, (email tiju.joseph@nano.org.uk). All delegates whose abstracts are accepted will get a chance to exhibit their posters. This service is complimentary to the conference delegates.

Be the first one to learn the technology trends and market opportunities in nanomedicine.

• Learn from top industrial leaders on how nanotech drives new technology applications in medicine.
• Hear from VCs about the best investing strategies and overcoming challenges.
• Find out about new technologies for medical applications.
• Hear from clinicians on how nanotechnology enables new diagnostics and therapeutic techniques.
• Participate in discussions with experts in the field.
• Meet exhibitors at the cutting edge of medical nanotechnology

Speakers include:

• Prof. Dr. J.W. Hans Hofstraat, Vice President, Healthcare Strategic Partnerships,
  Philips Research
• Dr Thomas Keller, Director - Worldwide Applied Technology, GlaxoSmithKline
• Mr.Michael Lussier, MD, Volcano Corporation
• Prof. Jörg Vienken, Vice-President BioScience Department, Fresenius Medical Care
• Robert Jelski, Sector Partner, Electronics, Semiconductors & Advanced Technologies, 3i
• Dr. Renzo Tomellini, Head of Nanotechnology Unit, European Commission
• Prof. Amarnath Maitra, University of Delhi
• Prof. Seeram Ramakrishna, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering,
  National University of Singapore

Conference themes include:

• The Promise of Nanomedicine
• Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
• Drug Delivery and Pharmaceutical Development
• Clinical Applications of Nanotechnology
• Novel Devices, Nanosensors and Diagnostics
• Investing in Nanomedicine: Strategy and Vision for the Future

2006 attendees included: Investors SMEs Universities Insurers Pharmaceutical Companies Research Laboratories Trade Associations Regulatory Authorities Government Departments Non-Governmental Organisations Patent and Trademark Attorneys Trade Journals and Newspapers

Companies that attended included: Philips Medical Systems bioMérieux GE Healthcare Siemens Medical Solutions Johnson & Johnson National Institute of Clinical Excellence, UK-NICE European Medicines Agency-EMEA Zarlink Semiconductors Smith&Nephew European Investment Bank UK Trade & Investment Swiss Reinsurance Company Duravest Inc NorthStar Equity Investors Ltd. MayaTech Corporation Benet Group ChemDiv Inc. BASF Glaxo Smithkline And many small companies…

'Nanoparticles for European Industry II', 24-25 Oct 2007 : Olympia Conference Centre, London, UK

In the first groundbreaking meeting organized by the Institute of Nanotechnology in May 2006, many issues relating to the manufacture of nanoparticles were explored. Applications are rapidly increasing, but there are many critical issues for both producers and users that are still not fully resolved.

This year's event will examine the latest developments, including innovations in manufacturing, scale-up, stabilization and measurement techniques. The conference will again also include sessions on toxicology and risk, plus an update on current approaches to regulation.

To register please visit http://www.nano.org.uk/events/ionevents.htm

Playtime in the Nanoworld

16 Jul 2007

TNT Weekly

Posted by Tim Harper

While the rest of the nanoworld runs around squabbling over patents, control over technology, social. ethical and even philosophical issues there is one thing that everyone agrees on - we need more people to study science and engineering otherwise it really doesn’t matter how much taxpayers cash is pumped into nanotech.
For once the UK government agrees, with Margaret Hodge, the U.K. minister of state for industry and regions, saying in January this year that The science curriculum is “boring” and that ”encouraging enough people to follow science subjects is an “enormous challenge.” Gordon Graylish, European General Manager, Intel, in giving up on trying to maintain an R&D centre in Cambridge complained that “there is an almost deliberate streaming by the schools out of mathematics and sciences, based on the fact that those are harder subjects.”

This is not just a UK problem, it extends across Europe and North America, with a proliferation of soft subjects which allow schools to meet targets and universities to line their coffers from fees from overseas students.

While overhauling school curricula will take time, getting people enthusiastic about science is somewhat easier, especially if you combine it with what most 12-16 year old boys really want to do - play games! So, with our partners at Playgen we have just released the latest modules for the Nanomission game, and Business Week ran an article and a slide-show on the latest developments last week.

There is still time to get involved, with the Wellcome Trust joining the list of game sponsors, companies and organisations that have been providing both development costs and invaluable advice to ensure that Nanomission is not just a fun game, but the most realistic three dimensional simulation of the micro- and nano world to date.

Business briefs

13 July 2007

From Nanotech Web.org

Surrey NanoSystems has won what it describes as a "major order" for its carbon-nanotube-growth tool from the Italian Advanced Technologies Institute known as ITA. Located in Trapani, Sicily, ITA is a consortium of university, industrial and research institute partners. The group plans to use the equipment to develop nanocomposites and mechanical sensors.

ATDF, US, and UMC, Taiwan, have agreed to combine their foundry expertise and focus on so-called "speciality technologies" such as nanotechnology and memory designs coming out of small firms, university labs and other organizations. "Our partnership with UMC gives technology innovators an important new resource for implementing their best ideas," said Dave Anderson, general manager of ATDF. "Novel technologies now have a clearer path to a foundry, which is especially important for smaller participants in the industry."

Licensing

Nanogen, a US developer of nanotechnology-enabled diagnostic tools, has acquired the rights to genetic markers related to schizophrenia. The agreement is between Nanogen, the Co-operative research centre for diagnostics and Queensland University of Technology, Australia. Nanogen says that it plans to use the markers to create diagnostic tests for schizophrenia and related conditions, which may also help to predict adverse drug reactions.

Nanotechnology, Renewable Energy: Growth Drivers

02.07.2007

Credit Suisse

Innovation has always been an important growth driver and its pace is accelerating. New applications in nanotechnology and renewable energy are for example set to trigger new growth opportunities across a wide range of industries. The market potential could reach multiple billion of dollars in the next years.

Innovation, which derives from the Latin’s to change, has always been an important driver of economic growth. The innovation momentum has picked up speed in recent years, as highlighted by the number of registered patents every year, up 35 percent since 2002.

The recent acceleration of US growth is good example on how technological innovation can spur a country’s economic growth. The US non-farm product growth rate was 2.8 percent between 2000 and 2006, compared with 2 percent during the ’90s and even beating the earlier record growth rate of 2.7 percent reached during the ’60s.

“Ongoing technological, demographic and geopolitical changes could accelerate the speed of innovation further,” Hervé Prettre, Credit Suisse’s head of Commodities and Equities Trading Research said. “Technology is evolving fast. Take mobile phones as example. Their product life cycle is shortening as consumers want the latest model after just a year,” he said.

Increasing globalization also forces the industrialized world to innovate at a faster pace, as emerging market countries like India and China export items with a higher added value than previously. The fact that the US defense budget has soared since 2002 also supports innovation, as it historically has been a major innovation driver, Prettre added.

“The military application of a new generation of planes, the Tiltrotor, already produced as prototype, is set to have commercial application in the next decade,” he said.

Nanotech Boom Ahead

Investors can benefit from this innovation boom by focusing on companies which not only centre on pure product innovations but also work on improving their processes and organization. Credit Suisse’s analysts single out nanotechnology as one of the sectors with most innovation potential across a wide range of areas including healthcare, power generation, consumer electronics and new materials.

The market for nano products – objects being a mere billionth of a meter - is forecast to reach trillions of dollars within the next 10 to 15 years, according to industry experts. Progress when it comes to improving nanotech-driven solar cells and batteries can be highlighted.

“The solar cell market’s compound annual growth rate has been 35 percent in recent year and growth expectations are adjusted upwards almost weekly. Rising raw material costs and demand for more energy efficient devices are triggering innovative nanotech-based solutions,” said Uwe Neumann, a Credit Suisse research analyst.

When it comes to batteries, the global market is estimated at 50 billion US dollars out of which 6 billion are rechargeable batteries. But the life cycles of rechargeable batteries are still too short and the long recharge times do not meet the needs of the consumers. “With the help of nanotechnology, the commercialization of new batteries for electric cars, chargeable in 10 minutes with a range of 190 of miles (305 kilometres) is on its way,” Neumann added.

Innovation in Health, Food Emerging

Nanotechnology is obviously not the only sector where innovation is fuelling growth. The healthcare, food and beverage, and robotics industries are some of the numerous sectors growing thanks to new innovative products.

Pharmaceutical companies have for example been building up a promising pipeline of new drugs aimed at treating Alzheimer’s disease, as the number of people likely to be affected by the disease will quadruple by 2050, a consequence of the ageing global population.

Food and beverage companies develop new health and wellness products with ingredients containing scientifically proven health benefits. Robotics is yet another sector where innovation is surging. “The development of robotics is much the same as computers 30 years ago,” Microsoft’s founder, Bill Gates, was quoted as saying.

The deployment of artificial intelligence is notably being used for cleaning robots, but also to develop robots entertaining children with conversations and quizzes. The list of other sectors benefiting from innovation can easily be extended. For more information and investment ideas, please read "Global Investor Focus" (Issue 02, June 2007) which focuses on innovation.

Miniature Robots Play Nano-Soccer

Sunday, July 8, 2007

By Greg Bluestein, Associated Press Writer

Exploding from the other end of the field, a silver robot glinted under the light of the cameras and burst toward the lone defender standing between it and the goal.

That's when the "Whirling Dervish," as its creators call it, lived up to its name, spinning furiously in a show of razzle-dazzle. But suddenly, the robot stopped dead in its tracks, hopelessly mired as if it were stuck on superglue.

A metal arm appeared to rescue the wayward robot, but it was no crane — it was an acupuncture needle. And the field it plucked the robot from was hardly the size of a grain of rice.

What do you expect when the robot is six times smaller than an amoeba and weighs no more than a few hundred nanograms?

Robots of all sizes have descended on the campus of Georgia Tech for the RoboCup, an international contest that pits robotic creations against one another in a range of technical challenges.

But perhaps the most intriguing event was Saturday's Nano Cup, a competition hailed by organizers as the world's first nanoscale soccer game.

Held by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, its organizers hope to show the potential for building tiny devices that can be used in manufacturing, biotechnology and other industries. They also hope to develop manufacturing standards for the untapped field.

"If you take an ant and leave it on its own, it can't do much. But many ants can do incredible things," said Michael Gaitan, the leader of the agency's microrobots project. "We think the same way with microrobots. We'll have to see where it takes us. For now, it's soccer."

Five teams from the U.S., Canada and Switzerland answered the call, building microscopic robots that competed Saturday in two events: A two-millimeter dash and a challenging slalom, where the robot must reach a goal that is blocked by stationary defenders that look like running men but are about the diameter of two hairs.

The events take place in a glass-enclosed cube in the corner of a cramped classroom. Two high-powered microscopes project the action to the big screen, and scientists and students fall silent whenever a competition takes place.

The odds-on favorite for the day was ETH Zurich, an impressive Swiss team that developed a sophisticated propulsion system for the robot that's driven by small magnets.

The creation was completely automated, allowing the players to point and click a place on screen and then watch the device move accordingly.

The team has great hopes for the invention, which they developed over the past six months, and has already applied for patents. The team one day hopes to be able to send their robots into a human's bloodstream to treat cancer, cell defects or for other medical uses.

"You can leave the soccer field, build these robots and send them into the blood flow," said Dominic Frutiger, a Ph.D. student at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

But scientific competitions are as much about failed experiments as they are about those that actually succeed.

The creators of the Whirling Dervish, a team of two from Canada's Simon Fraser University, took that lesson home. They took a gamble by building their device with a plastic base rather than a metal one, and the result made the two-millimeter dash look more like a chess match than a sprint.

With a video game controller in hand, team member Dan Sameoto desperately mashed buttons trying to find the right frequency combination to get his microscopic robot moving.

Each twitch on the big screen elicited a gasp from the crowd and encouragement from his teammate, See-Ho Tsang. "C'mon," Tsang cried to the robot. "You can't be tired now!"

Each trial, though, ended with the acupuncture needle floating on screen to rescue the wayward device.

After the event, the two partners huddled around the computer to discuss what went wrong. Next year, they decided, they're going with a heavier device they say won't get stuck as easily.

"The lesson was learned," Tsang said.

Sameoto shrugged as he put Whirling Dervish aside.

"We go through a lot of them," he said. "They're designed to be disposable so we don't get too attached."

Tough tubes -- Carbon nanotubes endure heavy wear and tear

2 July 2007

From Forbes/Wolfe

A two-millimeter square block of carbon nanotubes, made up of millions of individual, vertically aligned, multiwalled nanotubes. Credit: Rensselaer/Victor Pushparaj

The ability of carbon nanotubes to withstand repeated stress yet retain their structural and mechanical integrity is similar to the behavior of soft tissue, according to a new study from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

When paired with the strong electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes, this ability to endure wear and tear, or fatigue, suggests the materials could be used to create structures that mimic artificial muscles or interesting electro-mechanical systems, researchers said.

The report, “Fatigue resistance of aligned carbon nanotube arrays under cyclic compression,” appears in the July issue of Nature Nanotechnology. Despite extensive research over the past decade into the mechanical properties of carbon nanotube structures, this study is the first to explore and document their fatigue behavior, said co-author Victor Pushparaj, a senior research specialist in Rensselaer’s department of materials science and engineering.

“The idea was to show how fatigue affects nanotube structures over the lifetime of a device that incorporates carbon nanotubes,” Pushparaj said. “Even when exposed to high levels of stress, the nanotubes held up extremely well. The behavior is reminiscent of the mechanics of soft tissues, such as a shoulder muscle or stomach wall, which expand and contract millions of times over a human lifetime.”

Pushparaj and his team created a free-standing, macroscopic, two-millimeter square block of carbon nanotubes, made up of millions of individual, vertically aligned, multiwalled nanotubes. The researchers then compressed the block between two steels plates in a vice-like machine.

The team repeated this process more than 500,000 times, recording precisely how much force was required to compress the nanotube block down to about 25 percent of its original height.

Even after 500,000 compressions, the nanotube block retained its original shape and mechanical properties. Similarly, the nanotube block also retained its original electrical conductance.

In the initial stages of the experiment, the force needed to compress the nanotube block decreased slightly, but soon stabilized to a constant value, said Jonghwan Suhr, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Nevada in Reno, who received his doctorate from Rensselaer in 2005, and with Pushparaj contributed equally to this report.

As the researchers continued to compress the block, the individual nanotube arrays collectively and gradually adjusted to getting squeezed, showing very little fatigue. This “shape memory,” or viscoelastic-like behavior (although the individual nanotubes are not themselves viscoelastic), is often observed in soft-tissue materials.

While more promising than polymers and other engineered materials that exhibit shape memory, carbon nanotubes by themselves do not perform well enough to be used as a synthetic biomaterial. But Pushparaj and his fellow researchers are combining carbon nanotubes with different polymers to create a material they anticipate will perform as well as soft tissue. The team is also using results from this study to develop mechanically compliant electrical probes and interconnects.

Source: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

The science of the small has yet to make it big in the EU

06 July 2007, Jennifer L. Schenker , Business Week

Faced with struggling startups and a divide between research and innovation, the science of the small has yet to make it big in the EU

Anxious investors are but one of the problems plaguing nanotechnology, the cutting-edge science of manipulating materials and microscopic devices at the atomic level.

Consider the story of Oxonica, Britain's highest-profile publicly traded nanotech startup. It revealed in late April that one of its key products—a catalyst designed to cut vehicle emissions when combined with high-sulfur diesel fuel—didn't work as expected, leading to the cancellation of a big supply deal with Turkish oil retailer Petrol Ofisi.

Oxonica shares were suspended until June, but when trading began again, the price plunged nearly 75%, wiping out $80.7 million in Oxonica's market capitalization. To save face, the company noted that Petrol Ofisi had agreed to work with it on another project involving low-sulfur diesel. But the damage was done, and Oxonica's share price is still only half what it was in April.

Research Over Real World
In many ways Oxonica is emblematic of Europe's nanotechnology sector: a story of early promise, huge hype, and dashed hopes. The Continent's single market and long history of scientific excellence suggested a natural role in the development and exploitation of nanotechnology, which could revolutionize manufacturing and medicine in coming decades. Experts say the worldwide market for engineered nanotech products could hit $1.5 trillion by 2015.

Yet despite massive injections of government money, analysts say Europe is actually doing a worse job of commercializing nanotech than other regions. According to Tim Harper, a nanotechnology specialist at London, U.S. startups have focused more on real-world applications for the technology.

In layman's terms, that has translated into a handful of U.S. products that frankly seem almost trivial, such as stain-resistant trousers and more durable tennis balls. But the U.S. also is laying the groundwork for success in years to come by wringing out about twice as many nanotech patents as Europe has from roughly similar levels of public research funding, says Spinverse, a Finnish consultancy that advises governments and startups on nanotechnology.

The field has so far proved to be a bit of a disappointment everywhere. As of the end of 2006, governments worldwide had sunk around $24 billion of taxpayer money into nanotech research and development—roughly the same amount, in inflation-adjusted terms, spent by the U.S. on the Apollo space program. Yet eight years into Apollo, the program had already achieved its first manned flight around the moon, surely a more momentous achievement than stain-resistant slacks, quips Cientifica's Harper.

To be sure, Europe has produced some nanotech success stories. Many large companies have been looking at the science for 10 or more years and have well-developed internal programs. German chemical giant BASF (BF), for instance, has developed scratch-proof coatings made with nanoparticles. Bayer (BAY) makes nanotubes and is looking into new applications in areas such as medicines, composite materials, and surfaces. French cosmetics maker L'Oréal is using nanotechnology to make improved sunscreens, hair conditioners, and skin creams.

But Europe's nanotech startups are less successful. "They are struggling because they are not creating new markets, just competing in existing markets with larger competitors," says Rodrigo Amandi, a research analyst at Swiss financial research firm SAM Group. Europe's small caps "are not delivering something spectacular, which is what we were promised from nanotech," he says.

University/Corporate Divide
That's a concern because startups feed the innovation mill. Nanotech's real opportunity—and the real money—are yet to come, when basic building blocks are combined in new ways to deliver breakthrough products that score with the public. The trouble, analysts say, is that Europe is failing to put the right innovation pipeline in place to ensure it can cash in on the next phase.

In part that's due to the age-old schism in Europe between academia and corporate R&D. There are fewer partnerships between universities and industry than in the U.S. and Japan, and European scientists are still less inclined to leave secure research jobs at schools or corporations to start risky ventures. On top of that, European industry is investing less in nanotech than counterparts in the U.S. and Japan, European Commission figures show.

Europe's weaker entrepreneurial culture also hurts startup activity. When nanotech companies are formed in EuropeEurope gets a proportionally smaller share of global nanotechnology venture capital investment, according to Spinverse. And though public funding makes up some of the difference, it doesn't offer venture capital's other benefits, including strong industry knowledge and networking.

Shift to Health Care and Pharma
Still, says Spinverse Chief Executive Pekka Koponen, "Europe has a chance to catch up." He thinks Europe could shine in creating instruments and tools for nanotechnology. "In all gold rushes the shovel-makers were the first to make money," he says. "We could see that here also." To date, U.S. companies such as FEI (FEIC) and Veeco Instruments (VECO) are the leaders in this area, but Koponen says European contenders such as Sweden's Obducat and Russia's NT-MDT shouldn't be overlooked.

Potentially even more important is the upcoming shift from nanotech materials to applications—especially in health care and pharmaceuticals. These are fields where Europe is historically strong and already has sophisticated business networks. Cientifica's Harper notes that pharma clusters in Britain, Germany, and Switzerland could be especially successful in nourishing nanotech startups.

With such "ecosystems" in place and policy changes on the books to help nanotech move more easily from lab to marketplace, Europe still could become a global leader in nanotech. The science of the small could eventually have a very big impact. consultancy Cientifica, while European firms have emphasized research into materials such as nanotubes and nanopowders, they often lack clear business models and exit strategies, and their teams tend to be short on commercial experience. That's one reason

Financial Information

From Small Times

NanoDimension Limited Partnership launches with EUR 45 million

Mar. 30, 2007 -- Swiss nanotechnology venture capital firm NanoDimension has established a new investment vehicle, NanoDimension Limited Partnership, which will focus exclusively on investments in nanotechnology companies. European and North American investment opportunities include IT/electronics, life sciences, materials, and energy sectors.

Leveraging EUR 45 million (approx. USD 60 million) in committed capital, NanoDimension has positioned itself as one of the world's leading nanotechnology specialists in the venture capital community. Limited partners include leading scientific and financial institutions.

Samsung backs Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc.

Mar. 7, 2007 -- Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. (AMEC), Shanghai, China, an emerging developer of proprietary semiconductor processing technology and equipment, has raised $8 million from Samsung Venture Investment Corp. (SVIC) and other investors.

"AMEC's vision to spearhead and strategically manufacture semiconductor capital equipment in Asia with a team of world-class industry veterans is the reason for Samsung Ventures' investment," said Bill Byun, managing director of Samsung Ventures.

Tokyo Electron acquires Epion Corp.

Jan. 10, 2007 -- Tokyo Electron (TEL), the world's second largest supplier of semiconductor production equipment, announced the company has acquired Epion Corporation, supplier of gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) technology for diverse semiconductor applications and emerging nanotechnology markets.

Epion's GCIB is a highly versatile atomic-scale processing technique that is ideal for production applications where surface and film quality are crucial, the company said. Key applications for GCIB include etching, smoothing, doping and physical and chemical surface modification.

Finance July 2007

From Small Times

Equity financing

pSivida

Ltd. Perth, Australia

$9 million private placement

Investors: Undisclosed U.S. and European investors

pSivida, a global bio-nanotech company developing drug delivery products, placed 40,957,050 million fully paid ordinary shares issued at A$0.2695 each. U.S. investment bank HPC Capital Management Corp. acted as the sole placement agent. The company will use the proceeds to retire a convertible loan. pSivida recently announced an exclusive worldwide collaborative research and license agreement with Pfi zer Inc. for its controlled drug delivery technologies in ophthalmic applications.

Acquisitions and mergers

Streamscape

Minerals Vancouver, B.C.

Undisclosed amount

Acquirer: VeruTEK Technologies Inc.

Streamscape Minerals is known for acquiring and exploring mineral resources in Canada—specifi cally gold, tungsten, tin, and molybdenum. Following completion of the reverse-merger transaction, the publicly traded Streamscape Minerals began operating under the name VeruTEK Inc. and began trading on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board under its new ticker symbol VTKT.OB.

News

From Small Times

IQ Micro to acquire micro/nano diabetes-monitoring technology

July 11, 2007 -- IQ Micro Inc., exclusive licensor of patented electro-osmotic membranes and micro-pumps for the microfluidic technology sector, has entered an agreement in principle with its parent company, Osmolife AS, to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Lifecare AS. A private Norwegian company, Lifecare is developing advanced micro and nanotechnology for the diabetes monitoring market. The proposed transaction is scheduled to close on July 15, 2007.

IQ Micro President and CEO, Johnny Christiansen, said, "With this acquisition, IQ Micro will strengthen its position in the $11 billion worldwide diabetes market by gaining immediate access to the parent company's proprietary technologies. As we continue to commercialize our licensed microfluidics technologies, Lifecare's patented technology will create another important building block in the future of diabetes treatment for the company."

Lifecare has been developing an implantable osmotic sensor for automated, continuous glucose monitoring. The company's proprietary sensor, SENCELL, promises precision and accuracy beyond existing solutions. SENCELL integrates micro and nanofabrication technologies into a tiny device that provides a platform for development of a long-term, in vivo glucose sensor solution to replace conventional, less efficient glucose monitoring and measurement techniques.

Melexis and UMC to deliver chips for automobile applications

July 6, 2007-- Melexis, a Belgium-based manufacturer of automotive semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), and UMC, a global semiconductor foundry, announced that their successful collaboration has resulted in the delivery of chips using UMC's 0.18um eFlash process and eFlash macro. The ICs are aimed at diversified automobile applications, including automotive sensors. Melexis and UMC have been cooperating on this product for several years, and the chip is currently being shipped to auto-module producers for assembly.

Melexis' sensor ICs include Hall-effect, optical, infrared, and MEMS; communication ICs include low power RF, RFID and Automotive BUS; actuator ICs for electric motors, solenoids, and LEDs; and Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs).

UMC manufactures advanced process ICs for applications spanning every sector of the semiconductor industry. UMC delivers cutting-edge foundry technologies that enable system-on-chip (SoC) designs, including volume production 90nm, 65nm, and mixed signal/RFCMOS.

BSE and MEMS Tech to develop silicon microphones

July 2, 2007—South Korea's BSE Co. Ltd., maker of electret condenser microphones, has signed a memorandum of understanding with MEMS Technology Bhd. The partnership promises to give MEMS Tech's silicon microphones worldwide exposure. The two groups also expect to collaborate on a new range of silicon microphones, combining the acoustics expertise of BSE and MEMS Tech's micro-electro-mechanical system.

BSE is the world's largest electrets condenser microphone maker with an estimated 40% world market share, while Penang-based MEMS Tech is a global supplier of silicon microphones.

IMEC to test nanodevice manufacturing processes with Akrion Velocity

June 20, 2007 ?- IMEC, the independent nanoelectronics research center in Leuven, Belgium, has ordered Akrion Inc.'s 300mm single-wafer surface preparation system, Velocity. IMEC will use the 4-chamber Velocity to develop and test new back- and front-end-of-line process recipes for IC device manufacturing at the 32 nm technology cycle.

Velocity uses stacked process chambers to minimize footprint. It offers 300mm factory automation compliance and a range of advanced technologies focused on the use of controlled physical forces to minimize physical damage while providing effective cleaning. Available subsystems include Goldfinger megasonics, JetStream and JetStream-Nano spray technology, and Sahara surface-tension-gradient dryers.

Project reports that nearly 500 everyday products incorporate nano

May 15, 2007 -- The number of consumer products using nanotechnology has more than doubled, from 212 to 475, in 14 months, says the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN). March 2006 is when the group launched what it calls the world's first online inventory of manufacturer-identified nanotech goods.

Clothing and cosmetics top the inventory at 77 and 75 products, respectively. The full list of nanotechnology-based products also includes bedding, jewelry, sporting goods, nutritional and personal care items. According to PEN, + The food and beverages category, including containers and dietary supplements, doubled to 61 products since last year.

+ Nanoscale silver is the most cited nanomaterial used. It is found in 95 products or 20 percent of the inventory. Carbon, including carbon nanotubes and fullerenes, is the second highest nanoscale material cited.

+ Merchandise from 20 countries is now represented. The United States leads internationally with 52 percent or 247 consumer products that contain nanotechnology. East Asia now boasts 123 products, a 58 percent increase over last year.

+ New products in the inventory include the Corsa Nanotech Ice Axe, which uses a steel alloy that claims to be 20 percent lighter and up to 60 percent stronger than conventional steel. There's also MaatShop Crystal Clear Nano Silver, a clear liquid dietary supplement that promises protection against colds, flu, and other diseases including anthrax.

The group says that in 2005 nanotechnology was incorporated into more than $30 billion in manufactured goods. By 2014, Lux Research estimates $2.6 trillion in manufactured goods will incorporate nanotechnology?or about 15 percent of total global output.

European Commission wants to run nanotechnology projects more smoothly

4 July 2007 Nanowerk

The European Commission will spend €1.8 million (approx. $2.4 million) over the next four years on "Exploitation strategy and innovation consultants for nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies".

According to a tender published on the EC website, the Commission looks for consultants to help secure and enhance the potential impact of the results of projects co-financed by the Commission within the activity 'Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials and new production technologies'.

"The tasks to be performed will more specifically aim at identifying and addressing potential obstacles to the exploitation of project results. These may be internal obstacles, such as diverging expectations or intentions between project partners (risk for conflict of interest), as well as external obstacles, such as legislative or normative influences, market evolution, development of other technologies to solve the same problem or address the same market, lack of training, lack of acceptance by society, etc. Services take the form of project analysis (desk work), assistance at project meetings, exploitation strategy seminars, first line consulting, presentations, and other."

Source: http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=2170.php

German Research Ministry says country's nanotech sector is "well positioned"

19.06.2007 12:24

FORBES/WOLFE Nanotech Weekly Insider:

Thomas Rachel, Undersecretary at Germany's Research Ministry (BMBF) says it is not yet clear who will be king of the one-trillion-dollar global market for nanotech products. In an interview with the German edition of Technology Review, Rachel admitted that the US was the leader in private sector investments and in bringing nanotech research to the market. However, he says that German companies are "well-positioned" in such areas as nanochemistry and nano-optics.

By 2010, the German government will be devoting a rather large investment budget to nanoelectronics: 323 million euros. Rachel said such a large investment was necessary because semiconductor technologies will be the main growth driver for all of Germany's main industries. "Here, Germany has already managed to make up a lot of ground," Rachel explained, adding that Dresden had now become the number one "electronics valley" in Europe.

Rachel denied claims that nanotech applications for environmental technologies were not being promoted enough: support for such applications was already implicit in the BMBF's focal innovations for nanotechnology. "On the other hand, we are currently discussing making environmental aspects a separate subcategory within the 'NanoNature' category."

Rachel also expects the International Standardization Organization (ISO) to pass the first nanotech standards by the end of 2007, which will provide "clarity for nanotech products." However, Rachel also still supports having a special set of regulations for nanomaterials adopted, as environmental organizations have been demanding for some time.

For more, see Technology Review online:

• "Das Rennen ist offen" [The Race is On]

(Craig Morris) / (jk/c't)

Nanotechnology Task Force launches in the UK

05 July 2007, Vnunet.com

The University of Surrey has launched the Nanotechnology Task Force to discuss future nanotech developments in the UK.

The taskforce, which convened at Portcullis House in Westminster last week, will address concerns over the UK government's failure to develop a coherent strategy for funding nanotechnology research.

Founded by leading UK scientists and chaired by Dr Ian Gibson MP, the taskforce will encourage informed public debate about nanotechnology, promote its benefits and address safety and ethics concerns.

The absence of a co-ordinated approach to nanotechnology investment is seeing the UK relinquishing its technological leadership to other economies, the group warned.

"The innovative work of UK scientists and technologists has demonstrated the case for the widespread potential benefits which nanotechnology can offer to society and industry," said founding taskforce member Professor Ravi Silva, director of the Advanced Technology Institute at the University of Surrey.

"What is needed is a coordinated effort supported by strategic funding from the government to turn this potential into real benefits. We hope that the taskforce can help deliver this."

The group hopes that by encouraging communication and collaboration between industry, government and academia, it can identify specific areas of science and technology in which the UK can be a world leader.

Funding of research should then be channelled to harness the UK's innovation and scientific creativity to help the country gain a competitive advantage.

"Nanotechnology will be the next industrial revolution, but the government needs to demonstrate its commitment to science if the UK wants to be a major part of it," said Dr Gibson.

"The work of the taskforce will help direct the focus of research and there is no better place than the 2012 Olympics to showcase the benefits of nanotechnology and incorporate it into the exciting renovation in east London."

The launch of the taskforce coincides with a conference entitled Nanotechnology - Is Britain Leading the Way?

The event, featuring speakers including Nobel Prize winner Professor Sir Harry Kroto, will focus on examining specific areas of opportunity for nanotechnology in the UK, including health, sustainable energy, economy and sports.

More information:

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2193258/nan [..]

Nanotech Disappoints in Europe

06 July 2007, Jennifer L. Schenker , Business Week

Faced with struggling startups and a divide between research and innovation, the science of the small has yet to make it big in the EU

Anxious investors are but one of the problems plaguing nanotechnology, the cutting-edge science of manipulating materials and microscopic devices at the atomic level.

Consider the story of Oxonica, Britain's highest-profile publicly traded nanotech startup. It revealed in late April that one of its key products—a catalyst designed to cut vehicle emissions when combined with high-sulfur diesel fuel—didn't work as expected, leading to the cancellation of a big supply deal with Turkish oil retailer Petrol Ofisi.

Oxonica shares were suspended until June, but when trading began again, the price plunged nearly 75%, wiping out $80.7 million in Oxonica's market capitalization. To save face, the company noted that Petrol Ofisi had agreed to work with it on another project involving low-sulfur diesel. But the damage was done, and Oxonica's share price is still only half what it was in April.

Research Over Real World
In many ways Oxonica is emblematic of Europe's nanotechnology sector: a story of early promise, huge hype, and dashed hopes. The Continent's single market and long history of scientific excellence suggested a natural role in the development and exploitation of nanotechnology, which could revolutionize manufacturing and medicine in coming decades. Experts say the worldwide market for engineered nanotech products could hit $1.5 trillion by 2015.

Yet despite massive injections of government money, analysts say Europe is actually doing a worse job of commercializing nanotech than other regions. According to Tim Harper, a nanotechnology specialist at London consultancy Cientifica, while European firms have emphasized research into materials such as nanotubes and nanopowders, U.S. startups have focused more on real-world applications for the technology.

In layman's terms, that has translated into a handful of U.S. products that frankly seem almost trivial, such as stain-resistant trousers and more durable tennis balls. But the U.S. also is laying the groundwork for success in years to come by wringing out about twice as many nanotech patents as Europe has from roughly similar levels of public research funding, says Spinverse, a Finnish consultancy that advises governments and startups on nanotechnology.

The field has so far proved to be a bit of a disappointment everywhere. As of the end of 2006, governments worldwide had sunk around $24 billion of taxpayer money into nanotech research and development—roughly the same amount, in inflation-adjusted terms, spent by the U.S. on the Apollo space program. Yet eight years into Apollo, the program had already achieved its first manned flight around the moon, surely a more momentous achievement than stain-resistant slacks, quips Cientifica's Harper.

To be sure, Europe has produced some nanotech success stories. Many large companies have been looking at the science for 10 or more years and have well-developed internal programs. German chemical giant BASF (BF), for instance, has developed scratch-proof coatings made with nanoparticles. Bayer (BAY) makes nanotubes and is looking into new applications in areas such as medicines, composite materials, and surfaces. French cosmetics maker L'Oréal is using nanotechnology to make improved sunscreens, hair conditioners, and skin creams.

But Europe's nanotech startups are less successful. "They are struggling because they are not creating new markets, just competing in existing markets with larger competitors," says Rodrigo Amandi, a research analyst at Swiss financial research firm SAM Group. Europe's small caps "are not delivering something spectacular, which is what we were promised from nanotech," he says.

University/Corporate Divide
That's a concern because startups feed the innovation mill. Nanotech's real opportunity—and the real money—are yet to come, when basic building blocks are combined in new ways to deliver breakthrough products that score with the public. The trouble, analysts say, is that Europe is failing to put the right innovation pipeline in place to ensure it can cash in on the next phase.

In part that's due to the age-old schism in Europe between academia and corporate R&D. There are fewer partnerships between universities and industry than in the U.S. and Japan, and European scientists are still less inclined to leave secure research jobs at schools or corporations to start risky ventures. On top of that, European industry is investing less in nanotech than counterparts in the U.S. and Japan, European Commission figures show.

Europe's weaker entrepreneurial culture also hurts startup activity. When nanotech companies are formed in Europe they often lack clear business models and exit strategies, and their teams tend to be short on commercial experience. That's one reason Europe gets a proportionally smaller share of global nanotechnology venture capital investment, according to Spinverse. And though public funding makes up some of the difference, it doesn't offer venture capital's other benefits, including strong industry knowledge and networking.

Shift to Health Care and Pharma
Still, says Spinverse Chief Executive Pekka Koponen, "Europe has a chance to catch up." He thinks Europe could shine in creating instruments and tools for nanotechnology. "In all gold rushes the shovel-makers were the first to make money," he says. "We could see that here also." To date, U.S. companies such as FEI (FEIC) and Veeco Instruments (VECO) are the leaders in this area, but Koponen says European contenders such as Sweden's Obducat and Russia's NT-MDT shouldn't be overlooked.

Potentially even more important is the upcoming shift from nanotech materials to applications—especially in health care and pharmaceuticals. These are fields where Europe is historically strong and already has sophisticated business networks. Cientifica's Harper notes that pharma clusters in Britain, Germany, and Switzerland could be especially successful in nourishing nanotech startups.

With such "ecosystems" in place and policy changes on the books to help nanotech move more easily from lab to marketplace, Europe still could become a global leader in nanotech. The science of the small could eventually have a very big impact.

More information:

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content [..]

12 million euro for Point One

11 July 2007

Point One, SENTER/NOVEM, ministry Economic Affairs

Minister van der Hoeven of Economic Affairs, Netherlands, will invest 12 million euro in 2007 in the nanoelectronics and embedded systems research programme Point One.

The budget includes 500,000 euro for SME pilot projects, 6.15 million euro for R&D projects and 5.4 million euro for European collaboration.

Calls for tender will open on 23 July for SME pilot projects (closing date 15 November 2007, 18.00 hrs) and on 9 July for European and R&D projects (closing date 14 September 2007, 18.00 hrs).

More information:

http://www.point-one.nl

http://www.senternovem.nl/pointone