Nano Roadmap Offers Plan to Enhance NC's Economic Future

North Carolina could boost its economy by further leveraging the science of atoms and molecules, a new report finds. In A Roadmap for Nanotechnology in North Carolinas 21st Century, released earlier this month, a state task force comprised of academic and business leaders offers a number of ways North Carolina can use nanotech to provide secure more high-paying jobs for its economy. Of the group's 22 recommendations, 12 focus on enhancing the states overall technology economy, while 10 focus specifically on improving and developing North Carolinas nanotechnology community.



One of North Carolina's greatest strengths for promoting nanotech is in its universities, the report points out. Between 1999 and 2004, the number of nanotechnology-related sponsored program awards to North Carolina universities increased five-fold. At least nine universities received funding awards from more than 10 federal agencies and nearly 40 private companies and foundations during the period. The task force recommends that universities align themselves with the needs of regional economic clusters, completing resource analyses and developing strategies to address those needs.



To enhance North Carolina's overall technology economy, the task force also recommends establishing a North Carolina Technology Investment Fund.



"A fund should be established to serve as a flexible source of matching funds to attract new federal R&D centers to the state, leverage private funds, and help communities link industry needs with higher education centers and other service providers through business networks and other services," the authors say. "The fund would also be used to provide funding for state agencies and organizations to meet new needs of industry and to establish education and research consortia with industry clusters throughout the state."



Fulfilling one recommendation that North Carolina create an information clearinghouse about nanotechnology the state Commerce Departments Office of Science and Technology has launched a nanotech website. The site, www.ncnanotechnology.com, provides information that is applicable to both a broad audience and users or investors in North Carolina.



Other recommendations include:

• Ensuring that nanotech is considered in education and workforce development activities;
• Emphasizing education of policymakers, the public, the business community and the scientific community about issues related to nanotech;
• Establishing a North Carolina Nanotechnology Alliance;
• Strengthening teacher knowledge of advances in nanoscale science; and,
• Convening an annual North Carolina symposium on nanotechnology.

More than 40 companies in North Carolina currently use nanotechnology actively in their products or services. The state is well positioned to help that number grow, according to Bob McMahan, executive director of the Commerce Department's Office of Science and Technology.



This is a situation similar in many ways to that which existed in the state at the time of the creation of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, said McMahan, who headed the task force. North Carolina has benefited significantly from its early and sustained investments in biotechnology, and it can reap similar benefits from developing the emerging nanotechnology economy across the state.



Both the report and the nanotech website are available at: http://www.ncnanotechnology.com/public/nanotechnology/roadmap.asp