NCMS Releases Findings from 3rd Study of Nanotechnology in the U.S. Manufacturing Industry

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences has released the report from its third, NSF-funded, nation-wide survey gauging the momentum of  nanotechnology develoment and depoloyment in the U.S. manufacturing industry. The survey targeted senior executives in U.S.-based manufacturing and research organizations and addressed pre-competitive and strategic issues influencing their organizations' nanotechnology commercialization initiatives. The goals of the survey were to identify and highlight trends in nanotechnology tech transfer and to make recommendations to accelerate product development and competitiveness.

Select findings from the NCMS report include:

• First-generation nanotechnology products are increasingly common, as is the strategic consideration of nano-enabled technologies for product development, with 85% of respondents expected to commercialize products by 2013;
• There is great potential for cross-industry transfer of technologies through NNI-supported initiatives, although the range of application sectors has narrowed since 2006; 
• Improved nanomaterials consistency and new nanomanufacturing technologies have enabled higher productivity and efficiency in the production of clean technologies such as photovoltaics and solar cells. 
• Nano-biotechnology research and development is having a transformative impact on cross-sector collaborations and the incumbent IP and licensing issues in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
• U.S. competitiveness and organizational viability and sustainability continue to be pressing issues for new and established businesses that developing nano-enabled products. 

In the NCMS Septebmer 15 press release, Dr. Mihail Roco remarks, "This lastest survey indicates that nanotechnology is becoming a general purpose technology as envisioned in NSF's Nanotechnology Research Directions report issued in 2000." 

Download the complete report.