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Nanotechnology's promise hailed

A senior technology expert hailed Taiwan's potential in the field of nanotechnology -- the manipulation of minute particles for use in manufacturing -- but warned that the nation's shortage of highly trained professionals in the field was a cause for concern.

Liu Jong-min (劉仲明), general director of the Industrial Technology Research Institute's (ITRI, 工研院) material research laboratories, told the Taipei Times that nanotechnology would have a great impact on industry.

"Revolutionary changes will occur not only in high-tech industries but also in traditional industries, such as textiles, paint, and iron and steel," Liu said.

Liu estimated, citing research by ITRI, that the value of output of industries using nanotechnology in Taiwan would be between NT$200 billion and NT$300 billion in 2005.

Liu added that Taiwan's manufacturing industry was one of the nation's great strengths, but that the shortage of highly-trained professionals in the nanotechnology field was worrisome.

He made his remarks as dozens of world-class nanotechnology experts from the US, Germany, Japan and Russia gathered in Taipei at the opening of the nation's first international conference on applied nanotechnology, organized jointly by the Ministry Of Economic Affairs and ITRI.

Nanotechnology involves the control of individual atoms and molecules to create sophisticated devices, such as electronic display devices and computer chips that are thousands of times smaller than current technologies permit. A nanometer (one billionth of a meter) is about 10,000 times narrower than a human hair and about four times wider than an atom.

Scientists say that nanotechnology, which began to develop in the early 1990s and is regarded as one of the most promising technologies of the 21st century, can be applied in a variety of fields, ranging from health, security and energy, to manufacturing.

Developed countries are rushing to cash in on the commercial applications of nanomaterials.

Officials from the economic affairs ministry said yesterday that a NT$10 billion budget had been allocated for promoting the development of nanotechnology over the next five years. The National Science Council launched a three-year, NT$80 million research project on nanomaterials last year.

In addition, the ITRI will spend NT$600 million on nanotechnology research next year.

The ITRI yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with National Taiwan University for information exchange on diverse technologies, including nanotechnology.

Dr. Paras Prasad, professor of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, said in his lecture at yesterday's conference that, unlike some technological fields, there was no conflict between cutting-edge academic research and technological development and that partnership between industry and universities would be important.

The US has increased its investment in nanotechnology sharply from US$118 million in 1997 to US$495 million last year.
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