THE first stage of proposals for an Advanced Centre of Excellence in Nanotechnology has been boosted by £400,000 of funding from Regional Development Agency One NorthEast.
Widely predicted to lead to the next technological revolution, Nanotechnology is the application and exploitation of exceptionally small scale structures and devices.
A micrometer is a one thousandth of a millimeter, a nanometer one thousandth of a micrometer. Examples of mass produced products derived from Nanotechnology include sunscreens, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Neil Mundy, Director of Integration, One NorthEast said: "This is a dynamic investment which will allow the North-East to take a leading role in the development of advanced miniaturisation technology across all sectors.
"The Nanotechnology Centre will provide an opportunity for small and medium sized enterprises and individuals to network for commercial and technological advantage, creating employment along the way".
North-East universities and companies have a record of innovation in microsystems and nanotechnology research, and the facility in Newcastle will be underpinned by an electronics "clean room" funded from the Innovative Cluster Fund, providing world-class facilities for prototype fabrication, small series production and skills training.
The project will seek to nurture new high tech companies for the region through highly innovative Masters and PhD training programmes, producing graduates with business skills training, a business idea based on their own research project, and a tested business plan to implement that idea.
Although the first stage of the new facility will be located in Newcastle, sub-regional centres will provide blanket coverage across the whole region.
Project partners include One NorthEast, Government Office for the North East, Universities for the North East, BioSci North, RTC North, and BAe Systems.
Professor Ken Snowdon, director at the Centre for Nanoscale Science & Technology at Newcastle University was confident the centre would raise the region's profile.
"The Advanced Centre of Excellence for Nanotechnology will raise the international profile of the region as a location for advanced technology based industry," he said.
The wider regional Centre of Excellence will also draw on key research expertise at Durham University, in particular the Centre for Molecular and Nanoscale Electronics, the School of Engineering and the Departments of Physics, Chemistry and Biological Sciences
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