Jones Lang LaSalle
State focusing on tiny science
Sunday, May 21, 2006
BY BETH FITZGERALD
Star-Ledger Staff
The state of New Jersey is starting to pay attention to nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology is the science of moving atoms around in pursuit of breakthroughs in fields as diverse as alternative energy and pharmaceuticals. Experts believe it will be a trillion-dollar industry someday.
For now, New Jersey is starting small.
The state Commission on Science and Technology has provided a grant of $500,000 to help create NJ NANO @ RU, a nanotech facility at the Institute for Advanced Materials and Devices at Rutgers in New Brunswick. The grant will leverage about $5 million in existing equipment obtained through donations and federal grants, and buy other equipment -- including the most powerful microscope in New Jersey.
The facility will be open to universities and corporations throughout the state.
"Nanotechnology is a revolutionary science that will benefit business and industry throughout our state and will help create new, high paying jobs and promote economic growth," Commission Chairman Donald Drakeman said.
On Friday, the commission released a 36-page white paper that describes the nanotech work under way around the state -- at academic labs at Princeton, Rutgers, NJIT, Stevens and Rowan and in more than 50 corporate labs from Lucent to Schering-Plough and Honeywell.
The report urged the state to make investments to allow New Jersey to compete with other states for the economic development expected to flow from nanotech. The National Science Foundation estimates the U.S. market for products and services based on nanotech could reach more than $1 trillion by 2015.
In a statement, Rutgers University President Richard McCormick said, "This initiative is intended to become a major signature program for the university and the state, attracting investment, spurring economic development in the region and improving the lives of the citizens."
While New Jersey has "a solid standing" in nanotech, with 388 nanotech patents that place the state in sixth place nationwide, other states have moved out ahead of New Jersey when it comes to public dollars.
According to the report, authored by Michel Bitritto, New York state "is the national leader in the development of a state-wide nanotechnology infrastructure," having invested more than $700 million over the past five years and received federal funds to create a nanotech center at the University of Albany. Arizona and California have invested $100 million each, while Pennsylvania and Delaware have had little state investment so far, according to the report.
On Friday, the commission directed its staff to do a business plan that will document the economic development potential of nanotech for New Jersey. Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset), a member of the commission, said a nanotech bond issue might be an option, "but we need to do the business plan first."
Beth Fitzgerald can be reached at efitzgerald@starledger.com or 9973) 392-4111.
© 2006 The Star Ledger
© 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
State focusing on tiny science
Sunday, May 21, 2006
BY BETH FITZGERALD
Star-Ledger Staff
The state of New Jersey is starting to pay attention to nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology is the science of moving atoms around in pursuit of breakthroughs in fields as diverse as alternative energy and pharmaceuticals. Experts believe it will be a trillion-dollar industry someday.
For now, New Jersey is starting small.
The state Commission on Science and Technology has provided a grant of $500,000 to help create NJ NANO @ RU, a nanotech facility at the Institute for Advanced Materials and Devices at Rutgers in New Brunswick. The grant will leverage about $5 million in existing equipment obtained through donations and federal grants, and buy other equipment -- including the most powerful microscope in New Jersey.
The facility will be open to universities and corporations throughout the state.
"Nanotechnology is a revolutionary science that will benefit business and industry throughout our state and will help create new, high paying jobs and promote economic growth," Commission Chairman Donald Drakeman said.
On Friday, the commission released a 36-page white paper that describes the nanotech work under way around the state -- at academic labs at Princeton, Rutgers, NJIT, Stevens and Rowan and in more than 50 corporate labs from Lucent to Schering-Plough and Honeywell.
The report urged the state to make investments to allow New Jersey to compete with other states for the economic development expected to flow from nanotech. The National Science Foundation estimates the U.S. market for products and services based on nanotech could reach more than $1 trillion by 2015.
In a statement, Rutgers University President Richard McCormick said, "This initiative is intended to become a major signature program for the university and the state, attracting investment, spurring economic development in the region and improving the lives of the citizens."
While New Jersey has "a solid standing" in nanotech, with 388 nanotech patents that place the state in sixth place nationwide, other states have moved out ahead of New Jersey when it comes to public dollars.
According to the report, authored by Michel Bitritto, New York state "is the national leader in the development of a state-wide nanotechnology infrastructure," having invested more than $700 million over the past five years and received federal funds to create a nanotech center at the University of Albany. Arizona and California have invested $100 million each, while Pennsylvania and Delaware have had little state investment so far, according to the report.
On Friday, the commission directed its staff to do a business plan that will document the economic development potential of nanotech for New Jersey. Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset), a member of the commission, said a nanotech bond issue might be an option, "but we need to do the business plan first."
Beth Fitzgerald can be reached at efitzgerald@starledger.com or 9973) 392-4111.
© 2006 The Star Ledger
© 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved.
posted by Jones Lang LaSalle NJ News Blog at 2:16 PM
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