Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Unusual sports bar to be sold at auction
Motorcyclist killed, wife injured in Stark County crash
Family found dead in Ohio home
Man says he was punched, robbed by 3 people in parking lot
Circle K on Brown Street robbed
Bank helps more save their homes
Man gets 3 years in prison for having sex with horse
Woman says clinic refused to help her get pregnant because she's not married
Blogs:
Pets:
Officials: NYer Had 20 Dead Dogs Buried in Yard
The Heldenfiles:
Monday Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
Time for Kokinis, Browns to agree and part ways
Akron Zips:
Zips tip off tomorrow
Tribe Matters:
Indians announce spring dates
Cleveland Browns:
Mangini doesn't name a quarterback
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – November 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Shaq: It’s All About Winning Championships
Buckeye Blogging:
Weekly ‘B’ Deck Report – New Mexico St.
Varsity Letters:
Louisville’s Bobby Swigert headed to Boston College
All Da King's Men:
If It Looks Like Islamic Terrorism…
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Dems Message To Women: Don't Enjoy The Sex
Akron Law Café:
Abortion Analogies
See Jane Style:
Muffle Your Muffler
Car Chase:
Clock Tender- Extending the Life of Collector Car Clocks
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Rumors: Akron Starbucks Closing
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Jack is looking for a trip to Southern Ohio the week of November 16.
Sound Check:
The Black Keys to perform benefit concert at Musica on November 27
HRLite House:
Personal Rant – Why People Do Not Live in Northeast Ohio
Akron Gamer:
New 'Call of Duty' could set entertainment record
Nano-Network wants to boost development
By Paula Schleis Beacon Journal business writer
Published on Thursday, Oct 25, 2007
A regional nanotechnology group says it's time to think bigger.
That means helping institutions and companies speed up the research-to-commercialization process and possibly taking its mission statewide, according to a strategic planning exercise by Nano-Network, the Northeast Ohio group sponsoring this week's national Nano App Summit in Cleveland.
The young group shared an analysis of its past work and future potential with a Nano App Summit audience this week, asking for input on how it should evolve.
Nano-Network started as a grass-roots effort in 2003, using a speaker series to bring together manufacturers, investors and scientists studying at the nanoscale or atom-size level.
After the group was adopted by the economic development group NorTech, its list of activities expanded. It organized a public policy tour to Washington, established a fellowship to offer technical consulting services, produces an annual national conference and hosts regular manufacturer forums.
''So while we started by getting people into a room to see what happens, we've really grown beyond that,'' said Nano-Network director Alexis Abramson.
With a grant from the Generation Foundation, Nano-Network's recent self-analysis took a look at the state and region's place in the Midwest.
Ohio was found to rank third in the number of nanotechnology research articles published, behind Illinois and Pennsylvania. And Northeast Ohio's institutions published at least twice as frequently as any other area in the state.
But when it comes to turning research into patents, Ohio slips one spot (giving way to Michigan) and Northeast Ohio falls behind Central Ohio.
''What it says is, even though they are behind us in publications, they are transferring the research into technology more frequently than us,'' she said.
That insight suggests commercialization should become a new priority for the Nano-Network, Abramson said.
''Probably getting people together is not enough,'' she said. ''Nano-Network should encourage programs that inform researchers about technology transfer and connect them with companies.''
One option is to expand statewide.
''If we could find a way to cross-pollinate regionally, we could be a real powerhouse in nanotechnology,'' she said. ''By coming together in a statewide nano-type initiative, we could better attract investments, talent and technologies.''
That would require finding some money, logically from the state.
''There are other models we could look toward, like charging members a fee and trying to run the organization that way, but part of the strategic plan showed us how other state models look,'' Abramson said, ''and the most successful are supported . . . by the state.
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.
A regional nanotechnology group says it's time to think bigger.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
