Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Victim of beating in Kent last week is declared dead at Akron hospital
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
Browns' roster nearly devoid of consistent players
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 47-13
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Four area football teams play tonight
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (69) The Brookings Institute Study on "Bending the Curve" – Four General Strategies
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
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.
