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Minding our own business for February, 2005 DELTA COUNTY ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE John Bedz’ presentation at the February Bay Area Economic Club certainly gave pause for thought. He is the Associate Director of the Michigan Small Technology Association, which is involved in and supports micro-and nano- technology through research, commercialization, and fostering of business relationships in Michigan. The National Science Foundation estimates that this field will yield a $1 trillion market within 10 years. They continued, "Small world applications are as endless as a scientist's imagination, but real world products are in the marketplace today.” The good news for Michigan is that Small Times magazine ranks Michigan third nationally in the number of MEMS (microeletromechanical systems) and microsystems companies. Governor Granholm’s State of the State speech Februrary 8th promised that the state will continue commitment to research and development of cutting edge technologies by proposing a $2 billion bond to support such research in Michigan. The other good news for language nuts like me is that maybe people will finally start using the term “quantum” correctly! Quantum mechanics are the branch of physics to explain what happens in the world of nano-technologies. Physical properties of elements change from what we think of as their innate properties when they are looked at or manipulated at that level. The Quantum Leap that nanotechnology will provide for the improvement of people’s lives, lifespans, products and production will indeed have the gigantic influence that most people think “quantum” means. Several sources suggest that the impact of Nanotechnology in the next couple of decades will far surpass the impact that computers have had in the past couple…and will in some estimates rival the impact of the Industrial Revolution. IBM’s design of a probe called the “scanning tunneling microscope” in the early 1980’s may have the same impact as moveable type, because it allowed scientists to see atoms and molecules for the first time. This allowed concepts to become experiments at the nano-level and may open the door to much of the science of science fiction. A remarkable item Mr Bedz related is that the medical advances of nano-technology have made cancer researchers shorten the timeline for when they expect to be able to effectively “cure” cancer. Because nano-technology will allow targeting of specific cells and not a broad range of cells, they feel cancer can be eradicated by the end of the next decade! He showed us a device already on the market the size of a couple pennies that can serve as an artificial liver; he showed us a device the size of a small post-it note that can determine “on the spot” blood type and white cell counts to help EMT’s begin treatment immediately. Because nanotechnology has such broad applications beyond what we can even imagine at this point, he expects nanotechnology to impact every material we know today as well as allowing new materials to be created. There are products now being created like metallic rubber, which flexes like rubber but conducts electricity like metal. GE is working on flexible ceramics which could allow jets to run at higher, more efficient temperatures. He talked about the more mundane but also important technologies like impregnating plastic wrap with sensors so that you can tell at a glance whether your meat at the supermarket has bacterial growth. He talked about the ability of carbon tubes to conduct electricity without losing any of it so solar panels in the desert could light up New York. He talked about pump and sensor technologies that, if they can determine composition of blood, can certainly and continuously test the quality of our drinking water. He even talked about someone out west who has created a capsule that will create carbonation in water that lasts two hours instead of 40 minutes. Think of what this could do to such standard industries as Coke if they stop having to bottle and ship such weighty items and start distributing the capsules with flavoring to make our favorite sodas on the spot. His presentation was a wake-up call for us to look at our products and processes and make sure we stay “up” on how they will change. Keeping up with the changes is surely a quality we all need to thrive in today’s and tomorrow’s worlds. One of the most interesting things about his speech, too, was that the community must keep abreast of that need by really pushing math and science in the classroom, and by encouraging students to pursue not only engineering (especially materials and chemical) but also marketing. How to use the products that scientists are creating, and getting them to the right customers better/faster/cheaper than the competition will be critical in this emerging product market. And he also said technicians are a critical need right now. -by Linda Hirvonen, Delta County EDA DIrector The broad application of nano-technology will exponentially change the world we live in and even how long we live in it! It will also change our perceptions of where we need to live to be successful. When a day’s production can go via UPS, location is not such an issue. We need to be preparing ourselves for a future we have only imagined. Let’s kick our imaginations in gear as we prepare our businesses and community for the next couple of decades. |
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