Nanotechnology is an emerging field with huge promise.  We help clients understand and assess this promise in order to improve their strategic decision-making, and ultimate success.  To request details on how our nanotech consulting services, including our own CRC NANOTECH SCORECARDSM, can benefit you, click here. We are at a very exciting stage of the nanotechnology industry’s development. Nanotechnology is following a very similar path to that of biotechnology after DNA was first successfully spliced. Many prudent companies are beginning to notice the impressive rate at which nanotechnology is progressing. Like biotechnology was 25 years ago, nanotechnology is now poised for extremely rapid growth. Since the turn of the century, many exciting developments bringing nanotechnology towards commercial reality have occurred. Examples include the work done by researchers at IBM (Armonk, NY), who built working circuits using nanotubes, and the work done by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, who developed a system using microrods and nanoscale stripes as a nano-barcoding method for the detection of various biological agents. Developments in nanotechnology go beyond work being done in the laboratory. There are real nanotechnology products already on the market, most notably those involving nanoparticles, nanocomposites, or other substances having unique nano-structures. One example is the sale of nanoparticles used in upscale sunscreens. While there are already many significant nanotechnology products on the market, many more are expected in the coming decade. Much of this near-term growth will come from the area of nanocomposites, where companies are working to produce substances that represent significant improvements over traditional fillers. These products offer physical enhancements such as increased strength and heat resistance, without many of the negative effects that would otherwise be expected. For example, because of their extremely small particle size, many nanocomponents can be added in greater concentrations than traditional materials without adversely affecting a substance’s various optical properties, such as transparency. This makes nanocomposites a prime candidate for use in a variety of consumer products, such as cars, where aesthetics are of great importance. Key among nanoscale substances slated to find their way into nanocomposites are carbon nanotubes, with their unusual ability to greatly increase the strength and conductive properties of many materials. As well as promising to play an important role in nanoscale circuitry, carbon nanotubes are likely to find their way into batteries and a variety of molded parts, such as those used in computers, where the buildup of static electricity is undesirable. Beyond the developments in the materials industry, significant biological applications are also on the horizon. These include, for example, coating drug nanoparticles with polymers in order to improve their solubility, and various systems for detecting bio-molecules using nanoprobes. It is still too early to say exactly what impact nanotechnology will have on various industries. But with chemical, biotechnology, and other companies all moving in, nanotechnology is likely to become a great unifying science between these areas. For more information regarding how we can help satisfy your consulting needs in this and other industries covered by Consulting Resources, please contact us with your questions.

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