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Nano competition debuts at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory
Oak Ridge, TN, October 11: A
nanotechnology-oriented forum bringing together academia, industry and budding
entrepreneurs, will be held April 2-4, 2007, at
Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Nano Nexus 2007 is designed to foster innovation
and increase collaboration between universities, government, industry and the
investment community — all critical players for commercializing new
nanotechnology. It will also serve as a component of the Innovation Valley Nano
Initiative, an effort to cultivate nanotechnology business in the region.
"This is the first time this type of event has
been hosted by a national laboratory," said Alex Fischer, director of technology
transfer and economic development at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. "We have
been working to open our doors to business and outside research institutions.
This forum will help crown those efforts. It will also help to put East
Tennessee on the map as a center of nanotechnology innovation."
Nano Nexus 2007 promises to draw attendees from
across the country with three main events:
- Idea to Product® or I2P®, a nanotechnology
business competition for university graduate students with a $25,000 prize.
- Nano Industry Forum, where representatives
from top corporations will present their toughest research problems and
connect with researchers who can meet those needs.
- Nano Venture Showcase, a venture capital
forum showcasing the most promising nanotechnology start-up companies.
Several of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's core
university partners will be participating in the event, including University of
Tennessee, Duke University, Florida State University, Georgia Institute of
Technology and Vanderbilt University.
A leading center for nanoscience research, Oak
Ridge National Laboratory scientists have published more than 1,000 nano-related
papers. The lab recently completed construction of the Spallation Neutron
Source, a $1.4 billion facility that allows scientists to examine the structure
and properties of materials at a molecular level using powerful beams of
neutrons. Next door, the recently finished $65 million Center for Nanophase
Materials Sciences provides world-class instrumentation, expertise, fabrication,
synthesis, characterization and modeling capabilities for nanoscale materials.
The center has already hosted nearly 100 outside users from research
institutions around the world and industry.
ORNL researchers are bringing new innovations to
the field of nanotechnology in areas of materials science — including metals and
coatings; high temperature superconductors used by the power industry; nanoscale
sensors and nanotechnology devices with the potential to advance healthcare,
transform computing and revolutionize the electronics industry.
ORNL will be the site of a new, privately
developed nanotechnology research center, which will offer low-cost access to
dedicated micro/nanofabrication facilities and shared access to higher-end,
state-of-the-art fabrication facilities at ORNL. The center also will serve as a
link between basic research being done at the Spallation Neutron Source and the
nanoscience center and the business community.
Nano Nexus 2007 will allow researchers from
universities across the country along with industry to learn more about ORNL's
capabilities even as Oak Ridge researchers learn more about their needs, said
Pat Richardson, director of Strategy and Business Development at ORNL.
"Nano I2P will be a great opportunity for student
teams from some of the best universities in the country to explore their
business ideas with key corporate leaders, researchers and venture capitalists
focused on making investments in nanotechnology. We expect to see early-stage
technology commercialization plans for everything from nano-sensors to business
to business services related to nanotechnology," Richardson said.
Sponsored by the Department of Energy, ORNL has
contracted with Oak Ridge economic development organization Technology 2020 to
organize the event.
"This event will be a unique opportunity for
universities, government agencies, industry and the investment community to
better understand the resources available at ORNL, to make valuable contacts and
to interact with students and companies interested in commercializing
nanotechnologies," said Technology 2020 President and CEO Tom Rogers. "It will
be the first conference of its kind at a national laboratory — in fact, the
nation's premier national laboratory in nanoscience."
For more information see
www.nanonexus.org. Oak
Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of
Energy.
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