Nanotechnology

Small science is getting big. And with its open and results-focused approach to research and development, Australia is taking nanotechnology beyond laboratory science to deliver market opportunities and commercial applications.

The science, named for its manipulation of materials billionths of a metre wide, is already producing spectacular leaps in knowledge and commercial returns.

Japan is the global superpower in nanotechnology, spending US$810m on research in 2003, according to the US National Science Foundation.

But Japanese companies and research organisations are also looking to Australia for specialist expertise, ideas and intellectual property. Our two governments specifically included nanotechnology in a 2003 agreement that promotes investment between the two countries.

Australia’s nanotech achievements

In recent years Australian companies have commercialised nanotechnologies with wide-ranging applications, including the bionic ear, UV-resistant sunscreens and glass, inks, enhanced plastic products, anti-HIV dendrimer drugs, immunodiagnostic sensors and energy storage devices.

“Until I arrived in Australia... I had no idea how extensively they had got into the business of using dendrimers for nano-drugs,” says Dr Donald Tomalia, President of Dendritic Nanotechnologies Ltd, Michigan. “I was awestruck by what they had done down here and the quality of the staff... they are so far ahead of anyone else working in the field.”

Dr Tomalia’s company is now majority owned by Australian nanotechnology company Starpharma Pooled Developments, and in May 2004 he was awarded an outstanding achievement award from Japan’s Society of Polymer Science.

Australia’s well-developed capabilities cover a range of nanotechnology disciplines, including:

• nanobiology;
• environmental sciences;
• nanoparticles; and
• energy sources.

Australia’s open scientific culture makes the country an excellent source of intellectual property and partnerships for commercialisation. More than 30 new companies have formed in the past few years to take nanotech products to market, a start-up rate exceeding the US, Canada and the UK, according to nanotechnology information clearing house Cientifica.

Australia’s achievements stem from proactive university research, an ever-growing legion of doctoral students, and advanced development facilities, which are acclaimed internationally. The Australian Government is fostering nanotechnology through its A$3.0bn innovation strategy ‘Backing Australia’s Ability’ and initiatives to encourage international alliances.