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Transition Time for the
National Nanotechnology Initiative
Other Topics:
Nanotechnology Law Practice
About Lux Research
April 24, 2008
Lux Research President to Testify before Senate Commerce
Committee on NNI Reauthorization
New York, NY -- In 2001, the U.S. launched the National
Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), the federal coordinating
program for nanotechnology research which has channeled $7.2
billion in funding since inception. The NNI has been a great
success, catalyzing a virtuous cycle of innovation. But as
nanotechnology shifts from discovery to commercialization –
with approximately $88 billion worth of products sold in
2007 incorporating nanotech – the NNI itself needs to
change. These are the key points from testimony to be
delivered today by Lux Research President, Matthew Nordan,
before the Senate Commerce Committee’s Science, Technology,
and Innovation Subcommittee. |
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“The NNI has funded prodigious research
in areas ranging from noninvasive cancer therapies to
high-efficiency solar panels,” commented Nordan. “But
moreover, it’s spurred a renaissance of materials science
development in the private sector. U.S. corporations like GE
and Motorola spent $2.4 billion on nanotech R&D last year –
23% more than government spending at the federal and state
levels combined – and venture capitalists put $632 million
into U.S.-based nanotech start-ups, four times the annual
figure before the NNI began. Further, nanotechnology is
having a broad-reaching commercial impact, from billions of
dollars worth of nano-reformulated pharmaceuticals sold by
firms like Wyeth and Abbott, to nanostructured composites
and coatings in millions of vehicles from the likes of GM.”
When the NNI took shape in 2001, nanotechnology activity
focused on early-stage laboratory research, and the U.S. was
unique in having a nationwide coordinating program for
nanotech. Today, both factors have changed. Nanotechnology
has shifted from its discovery phase into its
commercialization phase – and at the same time, the dominant
competitive position of the United States has been eroded by
other nations. As a result, the NNI must change as it
approaches reauthorization this year. In particular, Lux
Research advocates that:
The initiative should broaden its focus from basic research
to include precompetitive R&D on nanomaterials application
development and manufacturing scale-up. The Department of
Energy’s Nanomanufacturing initiative is an excellent case
study for this shift.
A reauthorized NNI must overhaul its approach to the
potential environmental, health, and safety risks of
nanotechnology – presenting a comprehensive, interagency
roadmap for EHS research.
“The public sector payoff in nanotechnology
commercialization is clear: New companies and new jobs,”
said Nordan. “Consider A123Systems, which makes advanced
batteries with nanostructured lithium iron phosphate
electrodes. In the mid-1990s, the Arsenal complex in the
city of Watertown, Massachusetts was 750,000 square feet of
empty, crumbling space. Now, A123Systems is its biggest
tenant, commercializing precisely the type of research that
the NNI funds – and employing more than 1,000 people.”
About Lux Research
Lux Research provides
strategic advice and on-going intelligence for emerging
technologies. Leaders in business, finance, and government
rely on us to help them make informed strategic decisions.
Through our unique research approach focused on primary
research and our extensive global network, we deliver
insight, connections, and competitive advantage to our
clients. Visit www.luxresearchinc.com for more information.
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