Tiniest things set to be big

The very small could become very big here soon. Science policy specialists are convinced that Ireland can have an important - and rewarding - part to play in the international effort behind nanotechnology research.

Nanotechnology refers to the inconceivably small world where atoms can be individually counted and things are measured at billionths of a metre across. Nanotech research helps make computers ever smaller, develops novel new materials and helps bring new medical treatments.

Nanotech is also a very expensive research area, however, and if Irish scientists are to pursue opportunities, then any State money directed towards the effort must be carefully spent, explains Forfás's Helena Acheson.

Acheson is the head of the science, technology and innovation policy division within Forfás, a key Government adviser on science policy. She described the "NanoIreland" initiative, an effort now underway to help make us players on the world nanotech stage.

"There is a lot of interest worldwide in this technology," she says. With it comes a rush by many countries to invest in nanotech research. The world leader is the US, which now spends more than $1,000 million (€823m) a year. Japan is close behind with an annual spend in the order of $800 million (€658m). Collectively, the EU spends about $300 million (€247m ).

"It is an expensive technology to invest in, and as a country we can't afford to invest in everything," Acheson says. Ireland can't invest as heavily, but it can still have an impact if investment is done carefully, she believes.

With this in mind, Forfás established a special task force on nanotechnology two months ago so that an informed "technology assessment" could be carried out. Its goal is to define how we might most effectively participate in world-class nanotech research.

"We have to position ourselves in a coherent and cohesive way," Acheson says. "You really do need to have the notion of joined-up thinking and joined-up action. In order to be successful in nanotechnology, we have to have coherence."

The task force is chaired by Lucent chief executive officer Mike Devane. Its membership provides a wide range of expertise. "The whole point with technology assessment is that you bring together different types of knowledge expertise," says Acheson. "The idea is to try to have out-of-the-box thinking as well as grounding it in the real world."

NanoIreland must also have an international perspective and, with this in mind, Forfás last Thursday organised a symposium to sample the views of international experts in nanotech.

"The idea was to bring international knowledge into the process. It allows you to think about the Irish situation in a global context," Acheson explains.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin addressed the symposium, a reflection, Acheson believes, of the importance the Government attaches to the NanoIreland effort. The task force is also concerned, however, with people's gut response to nanotech. Part of its remit includes helping people to understand the technology, but without the sense of having the technology forced upon them.

The Government also needs information, in the form of a task force response by the end of summer 2006.

"It will give the Government options and spell out the impact of the various options," Acheson says. "The whole point here is to ensure we make better decisions."

The task force is putting together panels to look in detail at nanotechnology as applied to three areas: nanobio, nanoelectronics and nanomaterials. By the end of this week Forfás hopes to have overview descriptions of these three areas available on its website (www.forfas.ie) so that people can read for themselves what the technology involves.