Rahmenkonzept 14 - TechPortal

Nanotechnology Conquers Markets
German Innovation Initiative for Nanotechnology

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Dr. Gerd Bachmann, VDI TZ GmbH
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Nanotechnology Conquers Markets
German Innovation Initiative for Nanotechnology

Contents
4-5 Summary
6 Nanotechnology – an interdisciplinary opportunity
for innovations
6-8 Nanotechnology in research and development
9-12 Products and possible applications
13-14 Present situation in science, business
and politics
15 Players on the nanotechnology scene in Germany
15 Project funding by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
16 Networks
17-18 Institutional research establishments
19 Universities and other research establishments
19-20 Industrial R&D
20 Nanotechnology funding in Germany
21-22 German activities in comparison to other countries

23-25 Germany‘s innovation initiative for nanotechnology –
New strategy for funding and support of
nanotechnology by the BMBF
26-27 Exploiting nanotechnology‘s market and employment potential through R&D
28-33 Using leading-edge innovations for applications
34 Creating research networks to promote innovation
35 Acquiring, developing and safeguarding the fundamentals of the technical sciences
36 Exploiting the opportunities for european and international cooperation
37 Strengthening the role of SMEs
37-38 Stabilizing new companies and encouraging established ones to relocate
39 Promoting the young and developing qualifications
39-40 Fostering young scientists
41 Identifying qualification needs and developing expertise at an early stage
42 Using opportunities for the good of society while avoiding risks
42-43 Evaluating the social consequences
44 Developing legal guidelines
45 Evaluation
46 Appendix
46-47 Examples of objectives for the application of nanotechnology by relevant sector

4
Summary
Often described as the technology of the future,
nanotechnology is attracting growing interest world-
wide. Its distinguishing feature is that it gives rise to new
functionalities solely as a result of the nanoscale
dimensions of the system components — functionalities
that lead to new and improved product properties.
Because of this feature, and thanks to continually improving
analytical and preparatory capabilities, nanotechnology has
matured into a dominant focus of R&D activities in the last
two decades. This new discipline will probably not only
extend our ability to influence the properties of materials in
specific ways, but also help us to better utilize them, and to
integrate nanostructures into complex total systems. What’s
more, it will do so to an extent that could be termed revolutionary.
It does not, therefore, represent a basic technology
in the classical sense — one with clearly defined parameters.
Instead, it describes a new interdisciplinary approach that
will help us to make further progress in the fields of biotechnology,
electronics, optics and new materials.
Nanotechnological advances do not serve as replacements
for existing applications in these fields — their
effect is rather to drive them to higher levels of functionality.
In our everyday environments, we are surrounded by a
broad spectrum of products that have already benefited
from breakthroughs in nanotechnology. These include
products as diverse as the hard disk drives in our computers,
sunscreens with high UV protection factors and dirt-repellent
surfaces in our showers. What’s more, interdisciplinary
perspectives, particularly those spanning a range of
industries, are opening up nanotechnology’s new potential
for innovation — potential that could not be formulated in
detail until now. This development represents a qualitative
leap as far as the application and further commercial use of
nanotechnology is concerned. As a result, the time has come
to take concrete action and formulate research policy. The
Summary
race for the inside track as we strive to conquer the nanocosmos
is already proceeding at top speed. Today the United
States and Japan are investing enormously in this area — as
are China, Korea and Taiwan. And the efforts of the latter
three countries should not be underestimated. However, by
establishing nanotechnology as an R&D priority of the EU’s
Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), which began in 2002,
the European Commission has responded to this competitive
situation.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research
(BMBF) faced up to this challenge early on. Even as far back
as 1998, a supporting infrastructure plan was put in place
with the establishment of six competence networks. That
was in addition to increasing the BMBF’s collaborative
project funding for this area. And although these measures
did not receive the international recognition they warranted,
they were implemented two years before the USA began
its national initiative and four years before the European
Union’s comparable measures in the Sixth Framework Programme.
That is the reason why Germany is today Europe’s
leading nation in the field of nanotechnology.
To remain successful in the face of increasing globalisation,
Germany must concentrate on its business and
science know-how and make better use of these assets. An
international comparison of the shares of publications and
patents from the world’s nations shows that Germany’s work
in the scientific domains of nanotechnology largely remains
separated from application and product-orientated areas of
R&D. In other words, there is still a lot of catching up to do in
the area of industrial implementation. This is where the
development of products and systems based on nanotechnological
advances and the integration of nanostructures in
microscopic and macroscopic environments present an
opportunity that must not be missed. In many areas of nanotechnology,
Germany is still out in front of many other countries
in terms of knowledge. This know-how, together with
the production and sales structures needed for implementation
and Germany’s internationally renowned expertise in
the area of systems integration, must be resolutely exploited
in the marketplace.

This is exactly where the “German innovation initiative
for nanotechnology” is taking up the challenge. On the
basis of the white paper presented at the nanoDe congress in
2002 and intensive discussions with representatives from
business and science, the BMBF’s new approach to nanotechnology
funding — starting from Germany’s highly-developed
and globally competitive basic research in sciences and
technology — primarily aims to open up the application
potential of nanotechnology through research collaborations
(leading-edge innovations) that strategically target the
value-added chain. In addition, the BMBF is working to
counteract the danger of a shortage of qualified scientists
and technicians through its education policy activities. For
many of Germany’s important industrial sectors — including
the automotive business, IT, chemistry, pharmaceuticals and
optics — the future competitiveness of their products depends
on the opening up of the nanocosmos. Moreover,
technology and innovation are increasingly becoming the
deciding factors in the struggle to remain competitive in the
face of the various challenges posed by low-wage countries.
In other words, new technological trends such as nanotechnology
will almost certainly have a powerful impact on the
labour market of the 21st century — and thus on ensuring
Germany’s continuing prosperity. Dawn has already broken
on a new era characterized by the dynamic growth of nanotechnology;
the challenge ahead is to set the course of future
funding and to direct the breakthrough.
The current overall strategy defines the framework
for the BMBF’s new approach to nanotechnology funding in
the future. The main elements of this strategy are:
+ To open up potential markets and boost employment
prospects in the field of nanotechnology
• the green light will initially be given to
funding for four leading-edge innovations
(NanoMobil / automotive sector; NanoLux /
optics industry; NanoforLife / pharmaceuticals,
medical technology; and NanoFab /
electronics)
• “NanoChance”, a new BMBF funding
measure for targeted support of R&Dintensive
small and medium-sized enterprises,
which offers existing companies assistance
in the early stage of consolidation, will
be established
• the coordination between institutional
BMBF funding — here especially with regard
to synergy effects with the programmeorientated
research of the HGF (Helmholtz
Association) Centres and funding for nanosciences
through the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
— and project support
based on structural measures (networking,
determining core topics, regular knowledge
exchanges) will be optimised.
+ Measures to support innovation will also be implemented
to supplement these main elements. For the
funding of young scientists, the “Junior Researcher
Nanotechnology Competition” will be continued.
The aim of this competition, which was founded in
May 2002, is to recognize new innovative approaches
at an early stage and to attract top young
scientists who have emigrated abroad back to Germany.
In addition, activities in the areas of standardization,
patents, and training and further education
will be launched.
+ The dialogue on innovation and technology assessment
will be actively pursued in order to give objectivity
and thus direction to the partially critical public
discussion about the opportunities and risks
associated with nanotechnology. What’s more, the
available results of three commissioned studies on
innovation and technology assessment are evaluated
in order to develop optional courses of action
for the socially acceptable use of nanotechnology.
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6
Nanotechnology — an
interdisciplinary opportunity
for innovations
Nanotechnology in research
and development
Nanotechnology refers to the creation, investigation and application of structures, molecular materials, internal
interfaces or surfaces with at least one critical dimension or with manufacturing tolerances of (typically) less than
100 nanometres. The decisive factor is that the very nanoscale of the system components results in new functionalities and
properties for improving products or developing new products and applications. These novel effects and possibilities result
mainly from the ratio of surface atoms to bulk atoms and from the quantum-mechanical behaviour of the building
blocks of matter.
A nanometre (nm) equals one millionth of a millimetre. That
corresponds roughly to the length of a chain of 5 to 10 atoms.
By comparison, the cross-section of a human hair is 50,000
times larger. However, a single atom or molecule does not
Nanotechnology — an interdisciplinary opportunity for innovations
Structuring with single atoms
Source: Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Universität Kiel
possess the properties we are familiar with, such as electrical
conductivity, magnetism, colour, mechanical hardness or a
specific melting point. On the other hand, even materials the
size of a dust particle possess all of those physical properties

History
The development of the scanning tunnel microscope
(STM) in 1981 represented a milestone in the
evolution of nanotechnology by providing the first
direct access to the atomic world. In 1986 this achievement
was honoured with the Nobel Prize in physics.
Today, nanotechnology encompasses far more
than the use of microscopes with atomic-scale
resolution. Several nanomaterials with valuable
innovative properties can already be manufactured
on a large scale. Surfaces can be processed with
nanoscale precision. And in specific instances, complex
structures a few nanometres in size can already
be created through self-organisation.
As early as the mid-1980s, the Federal Ministry
of Education and Research (BMBF) recognised
that potential applications of nanotechnology were
going to arouse intense discussion in all leading industrial
nations, and that a remarkable increase in
worldwide research activities would ensue. This insight
resulted in sponsored projects starting in the
early 1990s. To optimise the organisation of this
increasingly complex field of technology, a supporting
infrastructure in the form of competence
centres was put in place starting in the late 1990s —
in parallel with the funding of projects.
Today, BMBF-sponsored nanotechnology
projects alone encompass programmes in nanoelectronics,
nanomaterials, optical technologies, microsystems
engineering, biotechnology, communications
technologies and production systems with a
total budget amounting to about €100 million
annually and increasing.
— just as much as a steel object weighing tons. Nanotechnology,
then, exists in the transitional range between individual
atoms or molecules on the one hand and larger solid
objects on the other. Phenomena that are not seen in macroscopic
objects occur in this intermediate region. This interrelation
of structural size and function makes it difficult to
establish exactly what to include in the definition of nanotechnology.
The following examples illustrate the new
functionalities made available through nanotechnology:
+ The increasing complexity of information technology
creates a need for new nanoelectronic and
optoelectronic components with capabilities based
in part on quantum-mechanical effects.
+ Structural sizes on the nanoscale alter the sensory
properties of known materials to such an extent that
new and more versatile sensors are created.
+ Ultra-small particles can be used for new applications
of paints and coatings. These include different
colours due to controlled changes in particle size
and endowing transparent coatings with specific
functionalities such as dirt-repellent seals or UV
protection.
+ Minimal admixtures of nanomaterials produce substantial
changes in solids. Plastic films, for instance,
gain in tear strength, while ceramic materials become
virtually unbreakable.
+ The chemical reactivity and the useful life of catalysts
can be substantially increased by means of making
appropriate changes to the structure and composition
of their surface.
Such property changes are largely the result of a new
approach in the utilisation of dimension, form and composition
to achieve new functional principles of a physical,
chemical and biological nature. Due to this trend towards
integration, nanotechnology has evolved mainly along
three routes that converge on the nanolevel.
+ In recent decades, physico-technical methods have
been the principal driver behind the generation of
increasingly complex circuits and consequently
smaller structures (top-down endeavours) in microelectronics.
We can find off-the-shelf processors with
ever faster clock speeds as well as memory components
and disk drives with larger and larger capacities.
Typical sizes of chip structures already reach
below the 100-nm limit.
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+ Insights from coordination chemistry and supramolecular
chemistry have led to the deliberate
creation of high-molecular, functional chemical
compounds with enormous potential for applications
in catalysis, membrane technology, sensing
systems and thin-film technology (bottom-up
endeavours).
+ Very recently, our understanding of biological
processes has been substantially expanded at both
the cellular and molecular levels. This new knowledge
includes many processes — such as the information
flow from the gene to the protein, the selforganisation
of molecules and photosynthesis —
whose functionality and complexity has so far
remained unattainable by technological means. In
the future, the focus will be on applying the underlying
biological principles more and more to technical
systems. At the same time, biotechnology provides
an ever larger toolbox of methods useful in
designing customised, functional molecules that
bring us within reaching distance of biologicaltechnical
hybrid systems for such applications as
implants, neurochips or artificial retinas.
Most importantly, the methods of one discipline can be
usefully complemented by processes and scientific insights
from other fields. In examining nanoscale objects or in
making specific structural changes, scientists generally use
physical methods. The production of nanoscale particles, on
the other hand, occurs primarily within the realm of
chemistry. Nanoobjects such as structural proteins, enzymes
and viruses, however, are created by self-organisation
according to the laws of nature, and a large proportion of
the basic processes, such as cellular energy generation
processes (such as the respiratory chain or photosynthesis),
occur on the nanoscale, i.e. at the molecular level.
Bridging the gap between the macro, micro and
nanoworlds is the task of system integration techniques. The
required systems technologies include design and simulation
tools and methods, assembly and joining technology,
test methods, and appropriate production processes.
Important demands on the assembly and joining technologies
at the micro-nano interface include the realisation of
the necessary mechanical, electromechanical or biochemical
connections as well as the use of microsystems technology
in the positioning and wiring of nanocomponents.
General tendencies in the developement
of nanotechnology
Source: VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH

Products and possible applications
Nanotechnology is increasingly contributing to the
production of R&D-intensive products in the most diverse
sectors of business. In many cases, successful product
development is driven by the demand for extreme
reductions in weight, volume, raw-materials utilisation
and energy consumption, and by the need for speed.
Nanotechnology is exceptional in that it often meets
many of these criteria simultaneously.
As a result, a boom of innovations is expected in virtually all
high-technology industries, for example in information and
communications technology, in automotive, power and
production engineering, in the chemical and pharmaceutical
industries and in medicine and biotechnology.
The following are some examples of common
products that are already benefiting from advances in
nanotechnology and remain promising candidates for large
markets.
+ Every day we use computers, MP3 players, CD/DVD
systems or mobile phones containing microchips,
hard disks, RAM memory, diode lasers, displays,
rechargeable batteries or new ceramic materials
that have been optimised by the results of nanotechnology.
+ LEDs in indicator panels, tail lights and flashlights
convert electrical energy into light much more efficiently
than incandescent bulbs while generating
less heat.
+ Nanometre-sized oxide particles endow sunscreen
products with a high protection factor and are dermatologically
safe. Such UV-absorbing nanoparticles
are also used in some sunscreen fabrics, paints
and lacquers, and in UV-reflecting films with
potential new agricultural uses.
+ Nanoparticles in protective coatings for household
appliances, spectacle lenses, glazing materials for
sanitary applications or in exterior house paints
prevent scratches, tarnishing, smudging or algal
growth.
+ Chemical nanotechnology prevents fading of auto
paints and protects them against scratches due to
road dust.
+ The daily vitamin pill would be ineffectual but for its
nanoparticulate composition, which determines its
solubility in water and thereby its availability to the
human body.
+ The admixture of natural nanoparticulate materials
improves the absorbency of nappies and increases
the tear strength as well as the airtightness of plastic
wrap.
These examples show that the current focus of R&D activities
in the high-technology countries tends to be on improving
products in already established applications in order to make
them more competitive. To a large extent, the production
of typical “nanoproducts” must still await the completion of
basic research, and that is projected to require several years,
and in some cases decades.
Society will then be able to enjoy the prospects of
increased environmental compatibility of lifestyle and
mobility, drastically improved communications and information
as well as optimised healthcare. Nanotechnology
can contribute to better quality of care at less cost in an
aging society through improved and more economical
diagnostic and treatment methods, including nanostructured
biochips, nanoprobes, intelligent depot medications
for sustained release, microsystems to complement organic
functions, and artificial substrate materials for tissue
implants.
9

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Even today it is possible to envision examples of
future applications in these areas that are likely to benefit
substantially from the advances in nanotechnology.
+ Automotive engineering is pursuing applications to
which nanotechnology can make a significant
contribution. In this quest, new technical refinements
are useful both functionally (minimised fuel
consumption, driving safety, long product life) and
cosmetically (e.g. switchable paints). The car of the
future will respond intelligently both to environmental
stimuli and to driver behaviour. Windows
and mirrors will adjust to exterior lighting. Tyres will
have good traction on the most diverse road surfaces.
And multiple sensors will proactively adjust
the driving condition to a change in weather or an
impending collision. Switchable colour changes in
the paint and easier modifications using lightweight
designs will allow customised styling. New knowledge
in nanotechnology will contribute to optimised
combustion and emission control, a reduction in
body weight, the development of self-healing paint,
wear-resistant tyres with good road grip, and functional
window glass. Electronics already contribute a
disproportionately large share to the added value in
automobile manufacturing. The importance of automotive
electronics will continue to grow and, in
keeping with the auto industry’s role as a technology
driver, spur on the development of nanoelectronic
innovations into marketable products.
+ Machine and plant construction contributes to the
advancement of nanotechnology applications in
two different contexts. On the one hand, this
discipline makes new manufacturing and systems
technologies available (methods for producing
Current status of nanotechnology and some application fields illustrated by examples.
The timeline for the introduction into the market is in some cases no more than a kind
of educated guessing. Forecasting the fate of developements at the time of their onset is
especially risky.
Source: VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH

nanostructures, ultra-precision processing, systems
for nanobiotechnology and nanochemistry). On the
other, the use of nanostructures in function-determining
layers, in measuring instruments and in
sensing systems makes it possible to design better
machines and plants. As a result, the productivity
and reliability of machines and plants is increased,
making this traditionally strong German industry
and its products even more competitive.
+ The development of highly efficient or even autonomous
power supplies for portable devices is an
urgent priority in power engineering. Disposable as
well as rechargeable batteries continue to be unsatisfactory
with respect to weight and performance.
But a combination of economical electrical and
electronic components, efficient lighting and display
systems, and above all innovative energy storage
devices such as small-format fuel cells is expected
to provide new solutions. What’s more, integrated
energy converters based on nanotechnology,
such as highly efficient solar cells or innovative materials
that directly convert heat into electricity
(thermoelectric materials) may provide a replacement
for rechargeable batteries in low-power
EUVL stepper for the IC fabrication
Source: Carl Zeiss SMT AG
applications. That would give an enormous boost to
products such as portable electronics and diagnostic
systems (wearable electronics).
+ In medicine, the focus continues to be on diagnostic
and therapeutic approaches for managing widespread
diseases such as cancer and diabetes. In this
field, nanoparticles represent a new platform
technology. They can be accumulated in the tumour
as a selective contrast medium for medical imaging,
or destroy tumour tissues locally by heating them,
or, even more importantly, by transporting specifically
effective therapeutic agents. In the long term,
these particles also appear to point the way to noninvasive
methods for early diagnosis. What’s more,
these techniques will be complemented by diagnostic
applications of biochips produced by nanoand
microsystems technology. A virtual boom is
already under way in the use of these chips in pharmaceutical
research and laboratory applications.
The expansion of biochip technologies brings us a
significant step closer to the distant goal of individualised
medicine, in which prompt on-site diagnostics
will be complemented by customised
medications. The first drug delivery systems for
11

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transporting chemotherapeutic agents to the
tumour are now close to being approved.
+ In the field of information and communications, the
availability of any desired information, any time,
anywhere in the world, would be an objective toward
which nanotechnologies, and especially nanoelectronics,
can make a significant contribution. In
the future one should be able to use a device of
negligible size (comparable to a wristwatch, say) to
access any required information, or to communicate
with any desired party. In such devices, the information
should not merely appear as a string of
characters on a tiny display. Instead, the user should
be able to select the preferred presentation from a
diversity of processed formats, ranging perhaps
from text-to-speech all the way to three-dimensional
holographic images. These devices would provide
medical on-line diagnostic capability with automatic
alerts, and their data storage would have the
capacity of a national library. The computing power
Nanosystems in our future life
Source: Siemens AG
Artificial hip joints
made by biocompatible
materials
Fuel cells deliver electricity
for mobiles and cars
Intelligente clothings
measure pulse and
breathing frequency
Buckytube-frame is
lightweight and tough
of such an “electronic assistant” would rival that of
a present-day computing centre.
+ In optics too, developments are opening up a wide
range of potential future products. Optoelectronic
components already play an important part in home
entertainment (CD/DVD, laser TV, projection systems,
optical interconnects) and will continue to
grow in importance, as will lighting technologies
based on optoelectronic components, such as largearea
light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Due to their long
service life and high efficiency, optoelectronic light
sources are not only more reliable than conventional
light sources; they also consume much less energy
and are therefore more cost-efficient. What’s more,
optical lenses of any desired geometry and manufactured
with nanometre precision will be used for
highly precise, function-specific conduction and deflection
of light in applications such as data equipment
and (home) cinema projectors, lithography or
medical systems.
OLEDs for displays
Scratch resistant window
glass cleans itself with a
lotus effect
Light emitting diodes
compete with conventional
bulbs
Nanotubes for new
notebook-displays

Present situation in science, business and politics
Present situation in
science, business and
politics
During the course of the past decade, advances in our understanding of quantum effects, boundary properties and surface
properties, as well as of the principles of self-organisation, have laid the foundations for innovative analytical and
production techniques which have caused an upsurge of interest in nanotechnology and global networking activities along
the value-added chain.
This interest has been boosted in particular by the early
combination of basic research results and application
options, and by the resulting expectations regarding potential
markets. The players on Germany’s nanotechnology
scene were among the world’s first to address potential
applications at an early stage, on the basis of solid and
broad-based fundamental research. More than 100 companies
in Germany have already recognised these innovation
opportunities and are using nanotechnology knowhow
in their core business. Today, a total of about 400 to 500
companies in Germany are involved with nanotechnology
and are becoming increasingly active in this field as product
developers, suppliers or investors. These companies do not
view nanotechnological R&D work as a short-lived fashion
but are taking a long-term approach in addressing key
elements for future innovation in industries with a large
job-creation potential, primarily in the automotive and machine-construction
industries, in chemicals and pharmaceuticals,
in the optical industry, medicine and biotechnology,
as well as in power generation and construction. Many
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that can be ranked
as pure nano businesses have sprung up in Germany.
These flexible innovation companies occupy specific niches
in the value-added chain and make an important contribution
to know-how transfer from research to industry.
SMEs consequently serve a key function in most high-technology
fields, and establishing innovative start-ups is therefore
of enormous importance in the young nanotechnology
industry too.
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Source: Flad&Flad Communication GmbH

Players on the nanotechnology scene
in Germany
The success of nanotechnology in Germany is based on
a large cast of players in business, science and govern-
ment — in other words, on a substantial public and priva-
te commitment.
Project funding by the Federal Ministry of
Education and Research (BMBF)
Table 1: : Expenditures on nanotechnology within various BMBF core topic areas
BMBF nanotechnology funding Core topic areas 1998 2002 2003 2004 2005
(in million €)
Nanomaterials Nanoanalytics, nanobiotechnology,
nanostructured materials, nanochemistry,
CCN, new “nano talent“
recruting, nano opportunity
19,2 20,3 32,7 38,1
Production technologies Ultrathin films, ultraprecise
surfaces
0,2 0,8 2,2 2,2
Optical technologies Nanooptics, ultraprecision processing,
microscopy, photonic crystals,
molecular electronics, diode lasers,
OLEDs
18,5 25,2 26,0 26,0
Microsystems technology Systems integration, nano-sensors,
nano-actors, energy systems
7,0 7,0 9,4 10,2
Communications technologies Quantum structure systems,
photonic crystals
4,3 4,0 3,6 3,4
Nanoelectronics EUVL, lithography,
mask technology, e-biochips,
magnetoelectronics, SiGe electronics,
19,9 25,0 44,7 46,2
Nanobiotechnology Manipulation technologies, functionalised
nanoparticles, biochips,
4,6 5,4 5,0 3,1
Innovation and technology analyses ITA studies 0,2 0,5 0,2
Total (in million €) 27,6 73,9 88,2 123,8 129,2
Since the late 1980s, the BMBF has been funding nanotechnology
research activities in the contexts of its Materials
Research and Physical Technologies programmes. Initial
core topic areas included the production of nanopowders,
the creation of lateral structures on silicon and the development
of nanoanalytical methods. BMBF support was later
expanded to also include other programmes with relevance
to nanotechnology, for instance in the Laser Research and
Optoelectronics programmes. Today, many projects related
to nanotechnology are supported through a considerable
number of specialized programmes. Examples include
Materials Innovations for Industry and Society (WING), IT
Research 2006, the Optical Technologies Sponsorship
Programme and the Biotechnology Framework Programme.
From 1998 to 2004, the volume of funded joint projects in
nanotechnology has quadrupled to about €120 million.
Table 1 lists BMBF expenditures on nanotechnology research
in various core topic areas for the fiscal years 1998 and 2002
to 2005.
In addition to BMBF-funded research, project-related
investments are also financed by the Ministry of Economics
and Employment (BMWA) in the Physikalisch-Technische
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Bundesanstalt (PTB — the national metrology institute) and
the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing
(BAM), as well as nanotechnology-related projects in the PRO
INNO innovation competency programme for SMEs. These
projects are funded to the tune of about € 25 million
annually.
Networks
BMBF-funded competence centres (CCN)
In 1998, the BMBF established six competence centres with
an annual funding of approx. €2 million. In Phase 3, starting
in the autumn of 2003, nine competence centres have begun
or continued their work as nationwide, subject-specific
networks with regional clusters in the most important areas
of nanotechnology:
+ Ultrathin functional layers (Dresden)
+ Nanomaterials: Functionality by chemistry
(Saarbrücken)
+ Ultraprecise surface processing (Braunschweig)
+ Nanobioanalytics (Münster)
+ HanseNanoTec (Hamburg)
+ Nanoanalytics (München)
+ Nanostructures in optoelectronics — NanOp (Berlin)
+ NanoBioTech (Kaiserslautern)
+ NanoMat
(Karlsruhe; established and financed by the FZK)
The purpose of the infrastructural activity of these competence
centres is to optimise the conditions for bringing
potential users and nanotechnology researchers together.
The centres will efficiently focus the nanotechnological
knowledge of their members and convert it into industrial
development. Other tasks of the competence centres include
in particular activities related to training and continuing
education, collaboration on issues concerning standardisation
and regulations, consulting and support of would-be
entrepreneurs and public-relations work. The individual
competence centres are organised along the subject-specific
value-added chain in their respective fields. The entire
network presently interlinks approximately 440 players
from the academic sphere (29%), research institutions (23%),
large corporations (12%), small and medium-sized enterprises
(31%) as well as financial services, consultants and
associations (totalling 5%). The information sharing supported
by the competence centres is particularly helpful for
small companies to keep them informed about current
developments and what such developments mean to them.
In the next three years, the centres intend to focus especially
on training and continuing education, and on supporting
start-up companies. In the future, BMBF funding will also be
complemented by regional financing through the Federal
States to the same amount.
CCN evaluation results:
+ Successful integration of several scientific and
technical disciplines
+ Established forum for science and industry
+ Established a nano discipline
+ Networks along the value-added chain
+ Achieved international visibility
+ Primary contact for interested parties
+ Accelerated the innovation process
Other networks
Besides the competence centres that are directly supported
by the BMBF, several other networks have evolved that
pursue different goals and are therefore differently
structured.
In contrast to networks with a (virtual) structure that
is generally nationwide, several universities and research
centres have consolidated their nanotechnological basic
research activities through local — in some cases even
internal — networks. Examples include:
+ CeNS (München),
+ CINSAT (Kassel),
+ CNI (Jülich)
+ CFN (Karlsruhe).
The NanoBioNet in the Saarland region also has a strong
regional focus.The establishment of incubators founded by
universities plays a very special part by supporting spin-offs
in the academic environment. To meet this objective,
CenTech GmbH in Münster, for example, has established its
own start-up support centre.

Institutional research establishments
Institutional nanotechnology funding (in million €) 2002 2003 2004 2005
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG} 60,0 60,0 60,0 60,0
Wissensgemeinschaft G.W. Leibniz (WGL) 23,7 23,6 23,4 23,5
Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft (HGF) 38,2 37,1 37,4 37,8
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG) 14,8 14,8 14,8 14,8
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (FhG) 4,6 5,4 5,2 4,9
Caesar 1,8 3,3 4,0 4,4
Total (in million €) 143,1 144,2 144,8 145,4
In Germany, institutional research in nanotechnology
outside the universities is pursued by the four large research
associations: MPG, FhG, HGF and WGL. These associations
maintain numerous research establishments or working
groups whose range of activities includes nanotechnology
research. What’s more, these partners are also integrated
into many collaborative research programmes and priority
programs of the DFG. Table 2 lists the public expenditures on
nanotechnology-related research in DFG funded projects,
and expenditures on institutional support by the BMBF
jointly with the Federal States.
Fire protection materials with nanoscaled fillers
Source: Institut für Neue Materialien, Saarbrücken
Table 2: Funds for nanotechnology research in the context of DFG funding and
institutional funding.
Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft
G. W. Leibniz (WGL)
The institutes of the WGL (G.W. Leibniz Science Association)
conduct basic and industrially orientated work in nanotechnology.
Some of their principal efforts are focused on
nanomaterials research, in which the Institutes for New
Materials (INM , Saarbrücken), for Solid State and Materials
Research (IFW, Dresden) and for Polymer Research (IPF,
Dresden) rank among the leaders; and on surface technology,
for instance at the Institute for Surface Modification
(IOM, Leipzig) and at the Rossendorf Research Centre (FZR).
Work at the Paul-Drude-Institut (PDI, Berlin) includes basic
research in solid state electronics.
The INM is strictly a nanotechnology centre. In addition
to the application-related development of new
nanomaterials with heat-resistant, anti-reflecting,
electrochromic, self-cleaning and other properties,
the institute is also engaged in technology transfer.
Several start-up companies are already doing business
as spin-offs of the INM. The INM develops processing
and manufacturing methods for diverse nanomaterials
up to and including readiness for actual
use (including contract development on behalf of
industry).
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Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft deutscher Forschungszentren
(HGF)
The HGF (Helmholtz Association of National Research
Centres) also conducts work on issues related to materials
and nanoelectronics. Especially noteworthy is the work at
the two research centres in Karlsruhe (FZK) and Jülich (FZJ).
R&D on nanomaterials and thin-film systems is also pursued
at the research centre in Geesthacht (GKSS) and at the
Hahn-Meitner-Institut in Berlin (HMI).
At the FZK, the research field “Key Technologies —
NANO” focuses on two subjects: nanoelectronics
and nanostructured materials. The Centre has
moreover joined the Universities of Karlsruhe and
Strasbourg in establishing the NanoValley research
association. This research is conducted at the newlybuilt
Institute for Nanotechnology (INT) of the FZK.
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG)
Work at the institutes of the MPG (Max Planck Society) is
contributing fundamentally important knowledge towards
new approaches in nanotechnology research. The
Institute for Solid State Research and Metals Research in
Stuttgart and the MPI for Microstructure Physics in Halle
for instances have been active for many years in the fields
of nanomaterials, characterisation methods and new
functionalities. Internationally recognized R&D achievements
have also been contributed by the Institutes for
Polymer Research (Mainz), for Colloid and Boundary Layer
Research (Golm), for Biochemistry (Munich-Martinsried),
for Coal Research (Mülheim), and by the Fritz-Haber
Institute (Berlin).
The MPI for Solid State Research emphasizes close
collaboration between the different disciplines of
physics and chemistry as well as between experimentally
and theoretically active scientists. The
centre conducts nanoresearch and technology
particularly in the following areas: nanoionics, carbon
nanotubes, nm-thin films, barrier layers and
nanoparticles.
Animal cell (fibroblast) on a nanostructured substrate
Source: Fraunhofer IBMT, St. Ingbert
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG)
Since an industrial demand already exists in most areas of
nanotechnology, many institutes of the FhG (Fraunhofer
Society) conduct projects focused on specific applications
jointly with industrial companies. Some of these efforts are
focused on thin-film and surface technologies, a field in
which the FhG has been supported by the BMBF for many
years. The Institutes for Materials and Laser Beam Technology
(IWS, Dresden), for Silicate Research (ISC, Würzburg),
for Optics and Precision Mechanics (IOF, Jena) and for
Boundary Layer Research (IGB, Stuttgart) have been very
active in this subject area. Nanomaterials research receives
high priority at the Institutes for Applied Materials Research
(IFAM, Bremen), for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF, Freiburg)
and for Chemical Technology (ICT, Pfinztal), among
others. The Institutes for Silicon Technology (ISIT, Itzehoe)
and for Production Technology (IPT, Aachen) are exploring
the interface of microtechnology and nanotechnology. The
Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration
(IZM, Berlin) is making contributions in particular to assembly
and interconnection technology. The Institute for Biomedical
Technology (IBMT, St. Ingbert) is exploring links to
nanobiotechnology. The Institute for Solar Energies (ISE,
Freiburg) is investigating the contribution of nanotechnology
to energy production.
The FhG-IBMT conducts nanobiotechnology
research. The principal research areas here are
biosensor systems and biochip research. Specific
research subjects include, among others, biosensing
technology, biohybrid systems, molecular
bioanalytics and bioelectronics, as well as medical
biotechnology & biochip technology.

Universities and other research establishments
Nearly all German universities with a technical and scientific
programme of studies are conducting R&D related to
nanotechnology. At the same time, growing emphasis is
given to developing an interdisciplinary understanding of
the relationships in various areas of this field. At several
universities, nanotechnology courses of study have already
been established that are closely linked to current research
topics. Examples of the comprehensive activities covering
this subject area can be found in the academic centres of
Karlsruhe, Aachen, München, Münster, Hamburg, Saarbrükken,
Kaiserslautern, Berlin, Kassel, Würzburg, Freiburg and
Marburg. Technical universities too are beginning to focus
more sharply on this field of studies.
In addition to the aforementioned institutes, the
strongly diversified R&D system in Germany also includes
other establishments involved with nanotechnology, such as
the NMI in Reutlingen, AMICA Aachen, IMS-Chips in
Stuttgart, FBH Berlin, Bessy II Berlin, PTB Braunschweig,
CAESAR in Bonn and IPHT in Jena.
Courses of study in nanotechnology
+ Nanostructure Technology (University of
Würzburg)
+ Nanostructure Sciences (University of Kassel)
+ Micro- and Nanostructures (Saarland University)
+ Bachelor Course Nanoscience (University Bielefeld)
+ Molecular Science (University Erlangen-Nürnberg)
+ Nanomolecular Science (International University
Bremen)
+ Master‘s Programme in Micro- and Nanotechnology
(FH München)
+ Bio- and Nanotechnologies (FH Südwestfalen)
Industrial R&D
The players in the nanotechnology field in Germany also
include several hundred industrial companies. Research
programmes in many large corporations such as Infineon,
DaimlerChrysler, Schott, Carl Zeiss, Siemens, Osram,
Degussa, BASF, Bayer, Metallgesellschaft and Henkel include
open questions in nanotechnology. For example, nearly all
major chemical companies are working with nanoscale
materials. These research activities vary in the way they are
organised. While Henkel has spun off SusTech and Phenion
in cooperation with the universities in Darmstadt and
Frankfurt for the development and marketing of new
nanotechnology applications outside the company in a
university setting, Degussa has launched “Projekthaus
Nano” at Creavis, a wholly-owned subsidiary, to research
nanotechnological methods and products in-house to the
point of their suitability for application with the support of
universities. Some of these developments are currently
being transferred to business units.
Carl Zeiss was established back in 1846 and has
always been engaged in subjects related to
precision mechanics and optics. The company is
world-renowned, especially in the field of ultraprecision
processing. To serve the field of
lithography more efficiently, the company
established Carl Zeiss Semiconductor
Manufacturing Technologies AG as a spin-off on a
new manufacturing site.
A third available model is to entirely outsource the
utilisation of the research results and of any related patents.
Examples include spin-offs such as Sunyx (from Bayer AG)
and Mildendo (from Jenoptik). Infineon AG is using yet
another model to implement nanotechnology knowledge,
by assigning responsibility for this area to an internal
research department (Infineon-CPR Corporate Research)
with a distinct focus on nanotechnology. In addition to sub-
50-nm CMOS transistors for future nanoelectronics this
organisation is also focusing on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as
possible connections between different chip levels (chip
interconnects).
While large companies tend to be interested mainly
in system solutions with prospects of large sales volumes,
small and mid-sized enterprises are mainly concerned with
production, analysis and equipment-related technologies.
SMEs in this field include Nanogate Technologies GmbH
(Saarbrücken), a company that supplies its nanomaterials for
a variety of applications (easy-to-clean coatings, non-stick
products, anti-graffiti protection, etc.). HL-Planar, a company
that manufactures various sensors and also provides
services in the field of thin-films for microsystems, is already
using nanotechnology under a variety of conditions in manufacturing
GMR sensors for the auto and machine-construction
industry. Important players in nanotechnology in
Germany also include many start-up companies (spin-offs of
universities and research institutes) such as Nano-X, ItN-
Nanovation, NanoSolution, Capsulution and so on. In
addition to companies specialising in the production of
nanomaterials, there are many others that are active in
nanostructuring (such as Aixtron, NaWoTec, Team
Nanotech, Nanosensors) or nanoanalytics (including
Omicron Nanotechnologies, IoNTOF, NanoAnalytics,
Nanotype, SIS and NanoTools).
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In the early 1980s, Omicron Nanotechnologies
GmbH was already addressing subjects that
became important in nanotechnology during the
following years: analytics and coating methods.
Soon after the discovery of the scanning tunnel
microscope, Omicron began to focus on the
manufacture of such instruments and broadened its
line of microscopy and analytical instruments to
such an extent that, from the mid-1980s on, it
achieved an annual growth rate of about 25%.
Today, the company is the global market leader in
scanning tunnel microscopy systems for research.
Nanotechnology funding in Germany
Not counting the industry’s own contribution, Germany’s
public expenditures for nanotechnology funding in 2004
total about € 290 million. This does not include the Federal
States’ expenditures on the universities’ basic budgets, nor
the industry’s own funding of nanotechnology research
apart from public funding.
Surface with hydrophobic properties
Source: BASF AG
Evaluation of the nanotechnology player scene
in Germany
In the field of nanotechnology, Germany can build
on a well-educated corps of scientists, on a differentiated
and networked R&D and industrial
landscape, and on committed engineers and
entrepreneurs. All of these players are aware that
nanotechnology innovations require large investments
but that they also create new job opportunities.
The BMBF supports such innovative companies
by funding collaborative projects, particular
in those applications in which a dominant market
position and high profit targets appear attainable.
Both these forward-looking companies and public
institutions are investing substantial sums in
strengthening this discipline and the players in it.
These efforts include both R&D work and an expanding
array of supporting measures, such as the
development of networked structures, the establishment
of academic programmes in nanotechnology
and other activities designed to ensure a
pool of new talent, as well as the familiarisation of
society with this subject.
Table 3: Public expenditure on funding for nanotechnology projects in Germany.
Nanotechnology funding in Germany (in million €) 2002 2003 2004 2005
BMBF project funding 73,9 88,2 123,8 129,2
BMWA project funding 21,1 24,5 24,5 23,7
Institutional funding 143,1 144,2 144,8 145,4
Total (in million €) 238,1 256,9 293,1 298,3

German activities in comparison to
other countries
In developing basic requirements for new products and
applications, Germany ranked among the top contenders
worldwide in most technology sectors, and in nano-
technology R&D Germany is also considered to be at the
same level as the USA and Japan.
But a comparison of different countries’ shares in the volume
of publications and patents reveals that a gulf still separates
the realm of nanotechnology science in Germany from
applications- and product-orientated R&D. In this respect
the situation is more comparable with that in Japan, while
the USA is pursuing objectives that are much more implementation-orientated.
Germany is strong in the nanosciences, but it still has
some catching up to do in their industrial implementation.
As fascinating as the opportunities in
nanotechnology are, German industrial customers
and others in this market still appear hesitant to
seize and use them for innovative products.
Despite its excellence as a research location, its numerous
start-up companies and its market opportunities, Germany
still has some catching up to when it comes to implementing
its nanotechnology expertise. To end this state of affairs and
lay the foundation for future competitiveness, the BMBF has
turned to a new approach by establishing competence
centres, opening new avenues of support for SMEs and
supporting concurrent educational initiatives. This new,
parallel strategy — the funding of projects concurrent with
the establishment of a supporting infrastructure — has
reinforced Germany’s position among the top contenders in
nanotechnology research while increasing the number and
enhancing the reputation of companies involved with
nanotechnology. In approximate terms, both the USA and
Europe have about the same number of companies involved
in nanotechnology. Roughly half of the companies located
in Europe originate in Germany.
A comparison with the situation in Japan or other
countries in Southeast Asia is difficult due to the lack of
reliable company data for that region. Based on rough
estimates and without further analysis of the details of the
provided support, a comparison of expenditures in Europe,
the USA and Japan shows very similar levels of funding.
During the 2002 fiscal year, around € 570 million was spent
in the USA and approx. € 770 million was approved for 2003.
Japan’s “Governmental Budget Plan for Nanotechnology”
includes a total of € 750 million for 2002 and provides € 800
million annually starting in 2003. Recently the British
government has announced an initiative to guarantee
expenditures amounting to approx. € 130 million, starting in
2004, for the next six years. The Research Directorate
General of the European Commission estimates funding for
nanotechnology in Europe to add up to approx. € 700
Table 1: Expenditures for the support of nanotechnology in Germany, Europe, the USA
and Japan in millions of euros (for simplicity’s sake, $1 is assumed to equal € 1 and 100
yen; for comparison purposes these data are questionable, because there is no
internationally uniform definition of the field, the data differ with respect to gross or
net expenditures, purchasing power differences are not considered, and it is virtually
impossible to accurately state industrial expenditures.)
(in million €) 2001 2002 2003 2004
Germany 210 240 250 290
Europe
(incl. nat. funding)
360 480 700 740
USA 420 570 770 850
Japan 600 750 800 800
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million in 2003. The European Commission has budgeted a
sum of € 700–750 million for the period ending in 2006 — in
other words, about € 250 million annually starting in 2003
— through the funding activities of the Sixth Framework
Programme (FP6), in which nanotechnology is primarily
supported under the 3rd Thematic Priority. Germany is also
participating with approximately € 250 million annually,
which makes it the largest contributor in public funding of
nanotechnology in Europe. Consequently, a total of about
€ 200-250 million for nanotechnology R&D can be considered
realistic for the other member nations as a whole.
Today, nanotechnology is recognised as an important
field for the future in all relevant industrial nations and
is funded accordingly. As a result, national or region-specific
research programmes are being established not only in the
USA, in Japan and Europe but also in China, Korea, Taiwan,
Australia and other countries. What the current programmes
in nearly all of these countries have in common (besides
the large investments in this future technology) are attributes
that were addressed by the BMBF five years ago:
+ An interdisciplinary approach in supporting this
field
+ Simultaneous support of basic and applied research
+ Initiation of networking activities
+ Expansion of international cooperation
+ Combination with issues of future training and
continuing education
+ Public discussion of socially relevant questions
+ The demand for rapid knowledge conversion in
order to strengthen local economies
Summing up the present situation
During the past several years, nanotechnology-related
measures launched by the BMBF have substantially increased
the visibility of the activities in Germany. According
to Philippe Busquin (Research Commissioner of the EU)
“Germany is the growth engine in the EU with respect to
nanotechnological innovations.” This statement is an indicator
that Germany is well positioned in nanotechnology,
both scientifically and infrastructurally. The BMBF has
initiated the development of this future technology earlier
than has been the case in other countries and has appropriately
addressed the scope of this subject in several technical
programmes. An internationally recognised position has
been established in specific areas by focusing on industryorientated
issues. This position must now be reinforced and
expanded by appropriate additional actions. To prevail in
the face of a strong upsurge of international competition,
the speed of the innovation process must be increased and
the long-term creation of added value must be ensured by
measures that are supportive of innovation.
„The Germans are serious about nano and have in
place a good funding structure and co-ordinated
approach with useful networks and Centres of
Excellence. No researcher complained about lack of
funding!! Commercialisation has moved right up the
agenda, and is actively encouraged and supported -
a relatively recent change in approach for the
Germans. Finally; Germany has established itself as a
proactive player in global technology markets,
through creating a strong, co-ordinated research
base with good links to industry.“
DTI-Report on “The International Technology Service
Mission on Nanotechnology to Germany and the
USA”, 2001

Germany’s innovation initiative for nanotechnology
Germany’s innovation
initiative for
nanotechnology –
New strategy for funding
and support of nanotechnology
by the BMBF
To remain successful in the face of increasing globalisation, Germany must be conscious of its strengths in business and
science and make better use of these assets. Nanotechnology’s new potential for innovation is increasingly accessible thanks
to interdisciplinary perspectives that span a range of industries. And the result is a qualitative leap for the technology’s
application and continuing commercial use, which must now be supported by decisive moves in research policy.
This is where the development of products and systems
based on nanotechnological advances and the integration of
nanostructures in micro- and macroscopic environments
presents an opportunity that must not be missed. In many
areas of nanotechnology, Germany is still out in front of
many other countries in terms of knowledge. This advantage,
when paired with the production and sales structures
needed for implementation and the internationally renowned
German talent for system integration, must consequently
lead to success in the marketplace.
And this is exactly the field of application for the
planned innovation initiative — “Nanotechnologie erobert
Märkte” (nanotechnology conquers markets) — and for the
new BMBF strategy in support of nanotechnology, which is
being developed for the initiative. Until now, aspects of
nanotechnology have been advanced within the confines of
their respective technical subject areas. However, the primary
aim of incorporating them into an overall national strategy
is to build on Germany’s well-developed and internationally
competitive research in science and technology to
Forward-looking political policy for fostering
innovation must recognise emerging trends,
support and fund pioneering development and
generate new products — and therefore new jobs.
“Only those who bring their own technologies
onto the leading markets can quickly gain
acceptance for their innovations in competition
with alternative innovations from other countries in
the global marketplace.”
(on the role of market leadership, from a
report on Germany’s technological performance in
2001)
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tap the potential of Germany’s important industrial sectors
for the application of nanotechnology through joint research
projects (leading-edge innovations) that strategically
target the value-added chain. This development is to be
supported by government education policy to remedy a
threatening shortage of skilled professionals. To realize that
goal, forward-looking political policymaking must become
oriented to a uniform concept of innovation, one that takes
into consideration all facets of new technological advances
that can contribute to a new culture of innovation in Germany.
And that includes education and research policy as
well as a climate that encourages and supports innovation in
science, business and society.
Germany’s economic future largely depends on how
determined the country is to seize the opportunities pre-
Nanotechnology and growth cycles
Today’s emerging international competition in
nanotechnology is a logical result of the technological
developments of the last three decades.
While biotechnology and microelectronics were
among the dominant concentrations in global
research and technology from the 1970s, in the
1980s materials research and information technology
became the reigning priority. In the early
1990s, R&D work in the fields of miniaturisation and
the integration of the smallest functional units in
particular took off. This period also saw new efforts
in chemistry that were aimed at achieving targeted
product design by following the principles of selforganisation
and merging functionalised individual
system components. This work also opened new
design possibilities in surfaces and materials
technologies.
The imperative at the opening of the 21st
century is to combine these diverse disciplines in
such a way that creates added value. In combination
with biotechnology and IT, nanotechnology will be
treated as one of the fundamental and essential
technologies in the next multi-year growth cycle. As
a result, in every high-tech region in the world it is
considered one of the most important technologies
of the future and is receiving tremendous support
and funding. National programmes and researchfield
specific programmes are not only being applied
in the United States, Japan and Europe; they are also
underway in China, Korea, Taiwan and Australia, for
example.
sented by new technologies such as nanotechnology and on
how successful it is in transferring those opportunities into
economic gains. In order to ensure that the society can enjoy
growth, employment and prosperity for the mid and longterm,
therefore, advances in research must consistently be
applied to those areas where there is the most dynamic
change and where market-leading innovations are possible.
For many of Germany’s important industrial sectors
— including the automotive business, IT, chemistry, pharmaceuticals
and optics — the future competitiveness of their
products depends on opening up the nanocosmos. The share
of the 2002 gross domestic product generated by the chemical
industry, mechanical engineering, electronics, IT and
communications technology and automotive manufacturing
was approximately 36 per cent. With export quotas that
can exceed 50 per cent, it is exactly these economic sectors
3D electronic construction
Source: IBM

and their innovative products that are Germany’s top
earners on the global market. In contrast, the export quota
registered by the industrial sectors that are not researchintensive
was only about 25 per cent. Key technologies such
as nanotechnology thus directly influence the potential for
growth and employment in the German economy’s largest
sectors, which must be used as the safeguards of the nation’s
prosperity.
Technology and innovation are the decisive factors
that are having a growing impact on the ability to compete
with low-wage countries. How greatly the prosperity of our
society relies on technological advances — the development
and use of key technologies — is illustrated by an example
from the United States: More than two thirds of American
private assets were created after 1970. The largest companies
in the world, based on their market value, are all less than
30 years old, and the majority of them are technology
companies that produce and market innovative products.
It is now plain to see that the dynamic growth of nanotechnology
has begun in earnest, and the German government’s
research and innovation policies have made a
vitally important contribution to this development. Those
policies include an energetic commitment to research and
development that has combined with dramatic increases
in research expenditures by businesses to once again drive
the research-and-technology share of the gross domestic
product to 2.5 per cent. Now it all depends on setting a
proper course for the future support of nanotechnology
and to organize its breakthrough as an economically viable
technology.
The need for an overall strategy
In order for the country to also remain competitive on the global market, an overall national strategy for the future
funding and support of nanotechnology is needed. This strategic approach also comprises, in addition to the
formulation of new application possibilities, solutions in the areas of nutrition, health, the environment, and safety
issues. With the application of solutions based on smaller, faster and higher-performing system components, many
of today’s challenges will open the way in the future to new market opportunities, which will depend on securing
key patents as soon as possible and on coordinated value production from basic research to product marketing.
Initially this will mean the introduction of new products and processes through continual development of existing
technologies, which will be increasingly combined with nanotechnological elements.
Goals of the implementation measures described in the overall concept:
+ With its activities in nanotechnology, the BMBF supports the federal government’s efforts to achieve substantial
gains in economic prosperity while reducing the consumption of energy and natural resources.
+ With this overall concept, the BMBF aims to help exploit nanotechnology’s potential with respect to commerce
and employment — in order to sustain existing employment, above all, and to create the jobs of the future by
applying new ideas for products and services.
+ In addition to the traditional model of project funding within research alliances, the BMBF will work even more
closely with partners from business and the sciences, using strategically applied research partnerships (leadingedge
innovations) to tackle issues in the field of nanotechnology that are relevant to the country’s standing as a
scientific and technological location.
+ The BMBF will increase its support for such nanotechnology research projects, which include intensive
cooperation with SMEs, generate motivation for launching new companies and stabilise young firms. The BMBF
has implemented a range of measures as a basis for making the programme even more attractive to SMEs. These
measures will be closely studied in the nanotechnology field, and they will be further expanded through the
start of a specific funding measure for SMEs (NanoChance).
+ The BMBF will integrate the national debate on the opportunities, prospects and risks of nanotechnology into
the discussion of future R&D activities.
+ As part of this concept, the BMBF supports measures that advance innovative and sophisticated technologies in
order to strengthen competitive and location-specific advantages, support up-and-coming talent, generate
expertise and infrastructures, and act as a driving force in training and education.
+ In addition to intensive R&D efforts in nanotechnology and integration of the research infrastructure, the BMBF
will also play an active role in advancing the formation of a European Research Area, with the help of
competence centres and through the establishment of a national contact point.
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Exploiting nanotechnology’s market and
employment potential through R&D
The creation of jobs with secure futures is the central
responsibility of domestic politics, and the reserves of all
political forces must be mobilized if this responsibility is
to be met. Besides introducing job-market reforms, new
forces of growth must be enlisted in the effort. Research
policy, in particular, can point the way to more growth and
help create jobs that have mid-range and long-term
futures.
The key to this push is to vigorously channel research
funding towards innovation. Innovations form the foundation
of Germany’s competitiveness and, as a result, the basis
for growth and employment in our country. In the age of
globalisation, innovations are the lifeblood of our economy.
They keep the economy moving, offset lost jobs and create
prosperity. In the age of globalisation and growing communication
networks, knowledge is available around the world.
But the only people who will be creating jobs and enjoying
growth are the ones who are the first to implement
innovations.
Granted, it is difficult to quantify a relationship between
innovations in new technologies and the employment
system. As a result, it is not possible to make a simple
forecast about the effects on the job market in a national
economy. But no one doubts that global shifts in the job
market are occurring between national economies that have
received an innovation boost and those that have not. Rough
estimates show that the global market volume affected by
nanotechnological knowledge is around €100 billion (see
Figure 3). That corresponds to approximately 500,000 jobs.
Among the sectors with the highest job totals, there are at
least three whose futures will be decided in part by expertise
in nanotechnological processes. These three sectors —
information and communication technology, motor-vehicle
technology and chemistry — employ more than 2 million
people in Germany. The international competitiveness of
these sectors is based largely on knowledge and researchintensive
industrial areas that are forced to use technical
innovations in their effort to adapt faster to demand than
their competitors. Increasingly, nanotechnological
knowledge is flowing into other R&D-intensive sectors,
including optics, biotechnology, medical technology and
measurement engineering. This knowledge will play a
competitively decisive role in the future positioning of
products. In such areas, the newly redirected nanotechnology
funding efforts by the BMBF will provide fresh
momentum in the drive to launch market-dominating
innovations and to initiate sustainable mid-range and longterm
opportunities for growth, employment and prosperity
in Germany.
Given the positions being taken on technological
capacities, the necessary contributions to the creation of
jobs with secure futures and the current changes in
innovation processes, an intensified research-policy focus on
new technologies is today paramount. Technological
megatrends such as miniaturization, individualization and
networking are playing a major role in the direction being
taken in research policy. The technological megatrend of
miniaturization can illustrate the potential of nanotechnology
as a future key technology to delve into dimensions
never reached before and to open the way for the creation of
products that are equipped with considerably improved or
totally new functions. At the same time, social changes such
as an increasingly aging population or the desire for mobility
and security must be considered.
The BMBF is taking on this challenge and is shaping
its innovation policy in the area of nanotechnology funding
accordingly. The primary goals of this effort are to enhance
the economy’s profile in global competition, to consolidate
and extend economic strengths, and to seize upon new
developments in technology, the economy and society.
A higher-profile effort to promote research in the
area of nanotechnology should focus primarily on areas
where special economic leverage can be exploited. This
would include creating jobs with secure futures, preserving

The amount of data available about nanotechnology’s
economic importance is fragmentary, both
in Germany and in other countries. The impact that
nanotechnological knowledge can have on
marketable products has existed for years in the
areas of electronics production, data storage,
functional layers and precision optics. In recent
times, nanotechnological knowledge has flowed
increasingly into the fields of biology, chemistry,
pharmaceuticals and medicine. This trend is likely to
continue. Even today, the extensive effect that
nanotechnological knowledge is having on markets
worth billions, including drug production, medical
diagnosis, analysis and chemical and biological
catalyst surfaces, is obvious.
or expanding technological leadership, integrating ranges
of services, and supporting German companies as system
leaders in the global market. For this reason, it is imperative
that the lead markets in Germany should become the centre
of attention, particularly in the areas of automotive ma-
€ billions
nufacturing, machine construction, optics and chemistry.
One key aspect of these lead-market sectors is their particularly
close relationship with the German scientific
community, from which they obtain their technological
strengths. This relationship must be supported with respect
to nanotechnology in future. The task of researchers and
politicians is to seize the opportunities of this new technological
field by strengthening Germany’s lead markets and
by opening new markets in the drive to tap nanotechnology’s
potential to solve such social problems as unemployment
and sustainability. Furthermore, it is also important
for the BMBF’s funding policy that the questions concerning
the possible applications of nanotechnology and
their consequences which are being intensively, and sometimes
controversially, debated in the public arena are faced
and answered.
Figure 3: Statements about the global market volume of nanotechnology (in billions of
euros) from various sources
(Graphic provided by the Deutsche Bank, Microtechnology Innovation Team)
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Using leading-edge innovations for
applications
Now that some areas of nanotechnology have matured, we
can and must devote more effort to seeking a balance
between public research and the strategic interests of
German industry. In the process, we must concentrate on the
strengths of the German economy in order to achieve the
maximum possible leveraging effect in economic terms.
Research efforts are being focused on key areas of
innovation, i.e. on strategic technological developments
pursued jointly by industry and the scientific community
with a pooling of research capacities and funds across
multiple technologies. These partners are founding
strategy-orientated research projects that can foster
“leading-edge innovations” which highlight the economic
possibilities and the social utility of nanotechnology.
Unfolding their considerable economic potential, these
Leading-edge innovations in nanotechnology help
develop new growth sectors.
innovations are intended to exert the maximum leveraging
effect on growth and employment along the entire valueadded
chains. In particular, they should “strengthen
strengths.” This involves the strengthening of
nanotechnology itself as a driver of growth in many —
particularly the lead market — sectors, its increasing
connectedness with other technologies and its integration
into applications (e.g. automobiles, machines and services),
the consolidation and expansion of existing markets and the
development of new growth fields. Addressing the basis for
innovative strength, this innovation strategy aims to secure
competence in cross-disciplinary technologies such as
nanotechnology as enablers for application-orientated
product and system innovations, and to identify innovative
fields of technology with immediate applications and
cultivate them systematically (courage to focus) where
lasting differentiation and competitive advantages can be
attained in global innovation processes characterized by a
division of labour. Industry is called on to lead projects of
this kind and participate in them to a significant degree.
Leading-edge innovations are supported as collaborative
projects between partners from the scientific community
and the commercial world. The BMBF will publish funding
announcements concerning each of the leading-edge
innovations.
The BMBF is planning the following measures to
address the market and job potential of
nanotechnology:
+ Priority funding of leading-edge innovations
+ Infrastructure expansion through networks,
education and support of innovation
+ Use of scientific excellence for application
+ Intensified use of European integration
+ Boosted involvement of SMEs
+ Support of entrepreneurs
Other important criteria for leading-edge innovations
include:
+ Ability to present a complete portrayal of the valueadded
chain
+ Creation of economic leverage effects in
neighbouring fields of application
+ Robustness and reproducibility of product
development, while maintaining ecological
compatibility
+ Addressing of new functionalities and their system
integration
+ Possibility of series production and economical
implementation
+ Predictability of the manufacturing method/product
behaviour and inferred reliability
+ Integration of the results into new educational
programmes
+ Protection of the findings through standards and
patents
Leading-edge innovations dealing with socially relevant
applications aspire to become trendsetters for economically
successful BMBF funding measures and to open up new
avenues of more rapid realisation. In strong sectors, all of the
participants needed to generate added value are usually
present in the country, so that a closed chain of implemen-

tation can be described and supported. A complete description
of leading-edge innovations also requires working
out roadmaps that link the technical possibilities with the
market conditions and the necessary strategy so that,
starting from the social utility and market potential of an
innovation, one can derive the requirements for research
and development, establish the necessary work packets and
schedules on that basis, and describe the necessary
contributions of the partners involved, including the
required activities in various technical programmes of the
BMBF. Concrete projects that then result must be understood
as elements on the road leading to a successful outcome over
the long term. A scenario based on a leading-edge innovation
must include descriptions of elements such as networking,
early agreement concerning the goal to be achieved
and the broad, added utility of the results.
Those involved in nanotechnology are becoming
increasingly interested in orientating basic nanotechnological
developments to a broad range of potential applications
in order to participate in the worldwide markets.
Numerous discussions with individuals from the scientific
community and industry have resulted in the following
examples of fields of innovation that aim to extend the lead
acquired in the area of nanoelectronics (Dresden location:
NanoFab), integrate nanotechnology into core sectors of the
German economy, such as the automotive industry
(NanoMobil), develop new areas of application (NanoLux),
and enable interdisciplinary approaches (NanoLife).
Example: Nanoelectronics
Electronics represents the foundation of nearly every
innovative technology of our time. There is now hardly any
piece of technical equipment that can do without electronic
components. In Germany alone, the market for electronic
components has a volume of approximately €20 billion and
employs over 70,000 people. Even more important, however,
is the leveraging effect that electronics has on innovation
because of its fundamental character. Worldwide, the
electronics industry is already the leader among the
manufacturing industries, having already surpassed even
the automotive industry. Of particular importance, however,
is the fact that no other manufacturing sector generates as
much added value as electronics. This accounts for the
special character of its key position in economic terms, too.
For those who want to position themselves at the forefront of
the world market with innovative technological products,
electronics is an indispensable element of the value-added
chain, an element that will continue to grow considerably in
importance.
Leading-edge innovation: “High-precision maximum
throughput fabrication for nanoelectronics — NanoFab.”
One example of a leading-edge innovation the BMBF has
already taken up is the measure to support next-generation
nanoelectronics manufacturing methods. This includes the
project support for EUVL lithography — funded since early
2001 with over €50 million from BMBF over a period of 5
years — which lays the groundwork for future microchip
production on the basis of powerful hardware technology.
The industry expenditures of over €120 million represent
more than double the amount of this government funding.
Another central area of support is the collaborative
project “Imaging Techniques,” in the framework of which
the first leading-edge mask centre in Europe is bringing
together the strategic advance research for chip production.
The BMBF will provide approximately €80 million for
research into mask technologies and their alternatives for
manufacturing nanoelectronic chips with feature sizes
ranging from 65 nm down to the ultimate limit. The
fabrication of these nanoelectronic chips uses a variety of
different nanotechnologies. Reflecting layers with a
precision on the nanometre scale allow the controlled
exposure of masks. Precalculated nanostructures can offset
diffraction errors, which makes it possible to write features
that are less than half the size of the wavelength of light.
Principle of EUV-Lithography
Source: Carl Zeiss SMT AG
29

30
Optical image distortions can be compensated for through
nanoscale structures and layers. Mask substrates must be
atomically flat over large areas. In an industrial maximumthroughput
process, nanoparticles must be found and
removed to enable extremely low fault levels. The nanomechanical
influences of gravitation must be offset. Heavy,
solid machine parts must be positioned with nanometre
precision and minimum delay. All of this serves to make
available nanotechnology with an extremely high level of
productivity.
Nanoelectronics is therefore the first technology to
penetrate the nanocosmos on a broad front — not just in
selected niches but especially in mass production for
standard applications ranging from the desktop PC to the
automobile — and the first to fulfil the expectations people
have of nanotechnology in a tangible, affordable way, in the
form of a marked increase in performance at steadily falling
prices. The electronics industry is the only technology sector
that has formulated the development of nanoscale technologies
in the form of a roadmap which is systematically followed
as a guideline by all the leading chip and hardware
manufacturers worldwide. According to this roadmap, the
first memory modules with feature sizes of 90 nm will be
available on the market beginning in 2004.
The current research efforts are by no means the
end, however. Already, it is clear that, despite earlier reservations,
CMOS nanoelectronics definitely has the potential
for even more miniaturisation. Of course, we cannot say with
certainty whether it will be possible to shrink features down
to 15 nm or even less than 10 nm, but work is already being
conducted on solutions for the post-CMOS era, too, based on
new materials and the use of new effects of physics. There is
Photo masks for lithography
Source: Schott AG
admittedly still no proof that structures of this kind can be
manufactured economically and hence made accessible to
the public at large. However, the history of electronics shows
that man’s inventive genius has so far always been able to
overcome any obstacle on the road to progress in
electronics.
Example: Automotive engineering
German automotive engineering is at the forefront of the
industry worldwide. In the last 10 years, the turnover of the
German manufacturers and suppliers has risen by about
eighty percent, approximately four times as much as in
other industrial sectors. In 2001, there were about 770,000
employees helping to generate revenues of €202 billion. The
automotive industry is thus one of the most important
drivers of the German economy. Its share of global production
comes to 23 percent when mergers are taken into
account. There are approximately 730 million cars on the
road worldwide. In China and India alone, the demand for
mobility is estimated at about 600 million cars.
To a great extent, the success of the German car
manufacturers is essentially due to the domestic suppliers.
The latter consider their greatest challenge to be the stabilisation
of their technological expertise, which is crucial
for the German market position. The German manufacturers
have opted for a strategy of using top-class technology to
gain a competitive edge, which creates the need for large
R&D expenditures. Attractive products and new market
opportunities can be attained only through the creative
joint efforts of all those involved in the process of creating
value. In order to strengthen these strengths of the domestic

industry, it would be appropriate for the participants to
combine their efforts in the framework of a leading-edge
innovation.
Leading-edge innovation: “Nanomaterials and
Nanotechnology in Cars — NanoMobil”
According to a study conducted by the Office for Technology
Assessment of the German Bundestag, nanotechnological
expertise in the automotive design of the future is one of the
core capabilities that are absolutely essential for maintaining
international competitiveness. The automobile is used
for both work and leisure; it ensures individuality and
guarantees mobility. There are approximately threequarters
of a billion vehicles on the road worldwide, and the number
is growing. Hence, the problems of vehicle consumption,
pollution emissions, recycling and the volume of traffic also
represent opportunities for industry, particularly for the
German automotive industry, which is so strong internationally.
This is a lead market, and its strength is, on the one
hand, its role as a driver of technology, because a leadingedge
innovation of this sort can open up prospects for
applications in other fields. In addition, its strength comes
from its role as an important customer of the supplier
industry, which is dominated by medium-sized firms. A
Technological targets of the leading-edge innovation NanoMobil
Source: German car manufacturers
leading-edge automotive innovation that uses nanotechnological
expertise for new functionalities will aim to optimise
sustainability, safety and comfort. Making progress toward
the leading-edge innovations’ goals of creating jobs
and encouraging sustainable developments requires new
solutions derived through nanotechnology, materials research
and adaptronics, in particular. With a view to possible
paradigm shifts in future automotive design, the
leading-edge innovation NanoMobil must therefore make
an extra effort to involve R&D institutes and innovative
suppliers that develop basic discoveries in nanotechnology,
that evaluate them with respect to their use in the car of the
future and additional broad-based industrial exploitation,
and that realise them in new products together with suitable
industry partners.
Example: Optical industry
In 2002, the German optical, medical and mechatronics
industry generated turnover of roughly €31 billion and
employed 216,000 people. The optical industry serves many
sectors of the future, such as information and communications
technology, healthcare, the biological sciences,
lighting engineering and sensor technology. In many of
these areas, the German optical industry leads the world. To
maintain this position, the sector devotes approximately
9 percent of its annual expenditures to R&D.
Optical technologies often play key roles in innovative
applications. But progress in optics is sometimes made
possible by new insights from other advanced technologies
too, such as through R&D work in nanotechnology. Energysaving
optical components that are more powerful and
more reliable are only possible because of faster and more
compact system components, and they guarantee future
market share.
Leading-edge innovation: “NanoLux”
In the future, efficient semiconductor-based sources of
radiation will be essential components for a large number of
innovative light applications. In contrast to conventional
sources of light, these light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can be
manufactured very compactly and with a low overall height,
and they are therefore extremely well suited for use in a
large number of optical devices in which space savings,
miniaturisation and heat dissipation are crucial system
features. Their outstanding characteristics are robustness,
longevity and a possibility for variable colour management,
properties that enable a whole new quality of light processing.
Current research is using nanolayers, nanostructures
and new molecule designs in the quest for high luminance,
high efficiency, very small dimensions and a long
service life for light sources of all colours. Furthermore, the
combination of semiconductor engineering and nanotechnology
can generate a completely new form of general
lighting. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have the potential to
create made-to-order light very efficiently, and that includes
light that is comfortable for human beings. Moreover, they
can be 10 times as efficient as incandescent bulbs and last
many times longer, too.
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The economic potential of light sources is very high.
Eight percent of all the electrical energy consumed in
Germany (43 billion kWh/year) is used for general lighting —
and in the USA it is more twice that. In the still widely used
84000 LEDs from Osram illuminate the Park-Hotel
Weggis in Switzerland
incandescent bulb, however, only 5 percent of the energy is
converted to light; the remain is lost as heat. From an
ecological point of view, this means that lighting alone is
responsible for eight percent of the total CO emissions.
2
Considered in the context of the economy as a whole, the
associated energy costs amount to approximately 0.3
percent of the gross national product. New sources of light
can cut both energy costs and CO emissions in half and
2
thereby contribute to sustainable resource management.
The global market volume for general lighting is €12 billion,
with Germany alone accounting for €500 million of that
amount. Sales growth of 10 to 15 percent per year is forecasted
for innovative products in this field.
In Germany, there are several companies operating
at the forefront of the industry as regards technology; together,
they serve about 25 percent of the world market.
These include OSRAM and Global Light Industries, a young
technology company from North Rhine-Westphalia with
very good market access to the automotive segment. These
companies cover the entire value-added chain for LEDs. The
market driver for the white LED is currently the automotive
industry, which now aims to replace the conventional headlight.
Once this has been accomplished, the market for general
lighting will open up, too.
Example: Life sciences and nanotechnology
In addition to strengthening the already strong sectors of
industry, other aims of leading-edge innovations are to tap
into long-term market potential at the appropriate time,
create new products and services, and be the first to participate
in the global sales opportunities. Future market
opportunities of this kind can already be anticipated in the
pharmaceutical and medical fields, hence the advisability of
cross-disciplinary activity in the life sciences and nanotechnology.
The biotechnology sector has been experiencing
dynamic growth worldwide since the mid-90s. The USA is
still the leader in the field, ahead of Europe. This edge is not a
function of the number of companies involved. Instead, it is
a reflection of the maturity of the sector in the USA. The
German biotechnology scene can now likewise point to
many innovative biotechnology companies that have
successfully positioned themselves on the international
market. Of the 4,300 biotechnology companies around the
world, 360 are located in Germany. These are predominantly
small and medium-sized companies with fewer than 50
employees. The biotechnology sector is characterised by
large investments in R&D. In 2002, the roughly 600 listed
companies, which operate mainly in the field of red biotechnology,
invested approximately US $22 billion in R&D and
had total sales of US $45 billion. The biotechnology sector
has come to be viewed as an engine of innovation for the
development of new therapeutic and diagnostic articles
with the help of which the large pharmaceutical companies,
too, will be able to fill their product pipelines and expand
their product portfolios.
In order to encourage a similarly successful take-off
for nanotechnology, the founding of innovative start-ups
and the growth of these companies must be promoted at an
early stage. The BMBF will support this process with supporting
measures. The integration of small and medium-sized
nanotechnology firms into value-added chains not only
makes an essential contribution to technology transfer,
however. It also makes it possible to tap into new fields and
markets with a high potential to generate added value.
Leading-edge innovation: “Nano for Life”
The aim of the leading-edge innovation “Nano for Life” is
to make a decisive contribution to the health of society
through the increased use of technologies and insights
from the fields of nanomaterials research and nanobiotechnology.

This requires, on the one hand, a strengthening of
the growing nanotechnology sector in Germany, the innovative
power of which depends to a great extent on research-intensive
SMEs. These small and medium-sized companies
can aptly fill specific niches in the early phase of
value-added chains that focus on the development of medical
products and pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, the sectors
in Germany that are traditionally strong and are relevant to
the health market, such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, biotechnology,
and material and medical engineering, can
profit from the introduction of nanotechnological processes
and applications by generating completely new products
with considerable socio-economic utility.
On account of the demographic make-up of the
population and the availability of innovative new medicines,
health expenses in Germany are continually rising. In 2001,
these expenditures came to €225.9 billion, or 10.9 percent of
GDP. For the most part, experts agree that nanotechnology
will open up new prospects in the development of therapeutic
and diagnostic products. But its considerable potential
with respect to resource conservation could also help to
keep health costs down over the medium term.
The availability of highly sensitive diagnostic products
improves the chances of prevention and early treatment
of serious illnesses. The use of DNA or protein arrays,
for example, makes it possible to identify those patients who
are very likely to respond to a certain medication (e.g. the
use of Herceptin in the case of breast cancer). This procedure
Medical technology made in Germany
Source: Siemens AG
not only cuts costs, it can also lead to a reduction of drug
side-effects. Other examples of nanomedical applications
include nanoparticles that act as drug-delivery systems, or
are used for hyperthermal treatment of tumours or as
vectors in gene therapy. Nanoparticles likewise play an
important role in some imaging techniques used in medicine.
In addition to nanoparticles, there are the interesting
present-day nano-applications of biosensors and nanostructured
implant coatings. Here, markets with considerable
sales potential can be tapped in the short term, since the
demand for artificial replacement tissue (skin, cartilage
and bone), for example, far exceeds the supply of donor
materials.
In order to make the R&D results susceptible to
broad commercial use, two essential aims are held in view
in the realisation of leading-edge innovations:
+ Innovative developments worked out in strong
sectors with specific goals in mind should also spur
on other fields of application.
+ Inventions from one branch of industry are often
the basis for revolutionary developments in other
sectors. Therefore, it is important to manage information
openly across multiple sectors, using the
nanotechnology competence centres, for instance.
Measures to support leading-edge innovations
In the framework of nanotechnology projects
receiving approximately €100 million per year, the
BMBF will be providing increased funding in the
coming years to industry-led, pre-competitive
innovation projects that involve the entire valueadded
chain (leading-edge innovations). The processes
initiated by these leading-edge innovations
will indicate paths to innovative products,
services and techniques which themselves lead to
new or substantially improved technical solutions
with significant market potential or broad social
benefit, and which clearly involve nanotechnology
for their realisation. As a rule, this requires an
interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach and
close collaboration among companies, universities
and non-academic R&D institutes. It may even
require European or international partnerships. Five
years is considered the typical duration of a project
devoted to one of these leading-edge innovations.
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Creating research networks to promote
innovation
In the age of globalisation, it is increasingly important for
technology companies to collaborate with expert research
partners on pre-competitive R&D projects and to ensure that
the various tasks along the value-added chain are properly
coordinated at an early stage. This pooling of expertise
enables companies to profit from the long-term benefits of
collaborative work on innovation in the form of shorter
product-development cycles, enhanced time management,
shared costs and risks, and advantages in the acquisition and
retention of expertise. These are also the prime factors involved
in keeping existing company locations competitive,
increasing the survival and growth chances of start-ups,
and also creating the ideal conditions for setting up new
companies. As a result, alongside traditional industrial
locations, so-called competence centres with a global profile
are also becoming increasingly important factors affecting a
location.
In line with the recent growth in activities in the
field of nanotechnology worldwide, the most important
industrial nations have launched enormously financed
research programmes as well as initiating various networks
and centre-based activities. The prime aim of such centres is
to bring together scientists working in nanotechnology, or
specific areas of it, as a preliminary stage to advancing to
applied projects in this field.
Following an initial orientation phase, the competence
centres supported by the BMBF are now adopting a
more regional focus in their efforts to establish ties and
initiate further collaboration between science and industry.
A similar trend is observable in the PR initiatives that the
centres direct at schools, institutes of higher education, and
chambers of commerce. The BMBF will continue to support
this approach, as it offers the most effective way of kickstarting
innovation, pooling interdisciplinary know-how,
and informing the public at large of the benefits to society of
nanotechnology. Moreover, experience in other areas shows
that a local presence helps to overcome any inhibitions that
High-technology companies are increasingly
following the strategy of maintaining a research and
development presence at whatever location in the
world offers the best conditions for innovation and
the generation of knowledge in their market
segment. They are not satisfied with locations that
simply keep up with technological progress; they
specifically seek out the undisputed leading centres.
Measures to support innovation
The BMBF will also continue to support the existing
competence centers. The emphasis will fall here on
training and further training as well as on assistance
with setting up new business ventures. The BMBF
therefore funds, after completion of the initial
phase, the secretariats pro rata for another three
years on the basis of updated and more concrete
development concepts.
In the interest of the continued promotion of
the public profile of nanotechnology in Germany,
the BMBF will also create — in addition to pooling
expertise at the competence centres — a
supraregional structure designed to support
innovation and accomplish those tasks that the
regional networks are able to undertake only in a
very limited manner:
+ Organisation of a regular national/international
nanotechnology congress.
+ Maintenance of an extensive, up-to-date
information system on nanotechnology.
+ Arranging contacts for research collaboration on
the national, European and international level.
+ Assessment of the international growth potential
of nanotechnology as well as its social
consequences.
+ Support with the training and further training of
junior and technical staff.
insufficiently informed social groups and sectors of industry
might harbour against new technologies. In looking to
promote research networks with a regional focus, the BMBF
will be making a contribution toward safeguarding German
industrial and research locations in the face of international
competition.

Acquiring, developing and safeguarding the
fundamentals of the technical sciences
Thanks to its outstanding research infrastructure (including
the DFG, MPG, WGL, HGF and FhG), its numerous universities
and the large range of research activities at the level of the
Federal States (Länder), Germany is one of the leading
countries in the field of basic nanotechnology research, also
known as the nanosciences. From an early stage, researchers
also started to look at related questions in the fields of
physics, supramolecular chemistry and — with the early
development of nanobiotechnology — at the relationship to
biology. As a result, firm scientific foundations have already
been laid for nanotechnological techniques in areas such as
ultraprecision processing, optics/optoelectronics, thin film
technology and analytical chemistry. Alongside the detailed
basic research conducted in individual disciplines, increased
interdisciplinary approaches to R&D will also expand the
stock of nanotechnological expertise and pool the use of
scientific resources through the creation of corresponding
networks. The aim of such research is to identify, develop
and consolidate at an early stage areas that promise to yield
interesting applications for the future. Innovations in
fundamental areas form the foundation for the future
export of high-technology goods. At the end of 2001, for
example, the magazine Science identified the results of an
investigation into molecular nanowires as the most
important research discovery of the year, as it paves the way
for the development of computing capabilities that will
“guarantee further research breakthroughs for decades to
come.” In other words, nanotechnology is an enabler for
other scientific advances.
Nanobridge for experiments in molecular electronics
Source: CFN, University Karlsruhe
Measures to support basic research
Basic research forms the foundation for subsequent
innovations. The development of basic knowledge
that is orientated toward concrete applications is
therefore of great importance. This often involves
crossing the boundaries that once separated
individual disciplines and entering into new and
untried forms of cooperation. In order to expand the
stock of nanotechnological know-how and pool
existing scientific resources, an interdisciplinary
approach to research and development is required.
Within the framework of the various collaborative
projects currently in operation, the BMBF will
increasingly exploit the opportunities offered by
institutional support as well as integrating the
requisite aspects related to basic research. Within
the framework of initiatives to promote innovation,
information on basic research findings in nanotechnology
will therefore be exchanged on a
regular basis so as to ensure that there is no conflict
with the scientific support provided for non-university
research establishments and the German
Research Society (DFG), the aim being to boost the
commercial exploitation of basic research as a
central objective of research activity in this field.
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Exploiting the opportunities for european and
international cooperation
In the age of market globalisation, an increased internationalisation
of science and research is necessary. International
research cooperation strengthens the strong economic
relations that already exist between German companies and
foreign business. Similarly, collaboration in the field of R&D
— and the enhanced profile of German science and research
that this entails — increases the attractiveness of Germany as
a research and manufacturing location, which in turn
creates incentives for foreign investment. In short, such
international cooperation makes a significant contribution
to bolstering German competitiveness.
International collaboration can take a variety of
forms, including bilateral cooperation on joint scientific/
technical projects with individual countries and multilateral
cooperation programmes such as EUREKA and, in particular,
the EU’s Sixth Framework Programme (www.rp6.de) for
research, technological development and innovation. The
latter aims to create a European Research Area (ERA) and, in
so doing, turn Europe into the world’s most competitive and
dynamic knowledge-based society by 2010. One of the prime
objectives of European cooperation in the area of R&D is to
develop common standards. In order to be able to influence
and participate in the establishment of international
standards in such rapidly developing markets, a thriving
R&D environment is absolutely crucial.
A substantial increase in EU funds for nanotechnology
in the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) was resolved
with the support of the German federal government. This
offers a golden opportunity for Germany to cooperate with
outstanding partners from throughout Europe and boost its
profile as a location for science and innovation by participating
in the Networks of Excellence (NoE), the Integrated
Projects (IP) and other FP6 schemes for the promotion of
research and development. In particular, the Integrated
Projects introduced by FP6 provide — in a manner comparable
to the forthcoming BMBF measures to support “leading-edge
innovations” — a suitable instrument for promoting
a stronger strategic focus for European nanotechnology,
with an increased emphasis to be placed on applications
in areas such as healthcare and medical technology,
chemistry, energy technology, optics, the integration of
nanotechnology into the development of new materials and
new manufacturing technologies, the development of
engineering processes for nanotubes and related systems,
and nanobiotechnology. In the future, it will be increasingly
important to harmonise national funding with European
initiatives. In turn, this means exploiting the advantages
that Germany has on account of its funding system —
orientated towards networked, interdisciplinary, projectbased
cooperation — with a view to bringing about a
stronger strategic alignment with European nanotechnology
research. Given that national funding for nanotechno-0
logy focuses on the applied potential of this field, this will
include, in particular, a greater readiness on the part of
German companies and research establishments to take on a
leadership role within European projects. Alongside the
national contact agencies (www.vditz.de/nks), the
competence centres could also play — given the network
they form — a valuable role as mediator in the conception of
such strategic projects.
Measures to support international cooperation
The BMBF has established a national contact agency
in order to assist German applicants wishing to participate
in projects of the Sixth Framework Programme.
This agency will serve to integrate the work
done by the BMBF more closely into the current
efforts to establish a European Research Area.
Furthermore, scientific/technical cooperation
(WTZ) and bilateral projects (e.g. with France)
in nanotechnology will receive increased support
when they can demonstrate that they are making a
concrete contribution toward the fulfilment of the
stated strategic goals in this field.

Strengthening the role of SMEs
Small and medium-sized enterprises are an important motor
of innovation for the German economy. However, they often
lack the strength to generate innovations entirely on their
own and, as such, are reliant on access to all of the latest R&D
results. In recent years, a group of young, innovative companies
has emerged in the field of nanotechnology. Alongside
the major corporations and scientific establishments,
these now take on an important role in the division of work
in this field. Among SMEs, the level of interest in nanotechnology
is remarkably high. Indeed, well over 100 SMEs
belong to one or more of the current nanotechnology networks.
These young and innovative companies require
support particularly with project design, systems integration,
patenting and the subsequent sales and marketing of
their products. They are incorporated into various networks
via the BMBF collaborative funding programme and, in the
case of urgent issues, can apply to the competence centres
for funding for pilot projects. SMEs benefit not only from
direct BMBF support for specific projects but also from other
BMBF programs which help them protect their expertise and
commercially exploit it (e.g. assistance with patent applications,
InnoRegio, the creation of innovative regional core
growth areas).
At the same time, the BMBF also investigates the
need for new professional qualifications based on discoveries
in the field of nanotechnology, so as to help ensure that
SMEs, in particular, remain competitive in the supply and
use of intermediary products, in the manufacture of equipment,
and in the creation of a services infrastructure.
Stabilizing new companies and encouraging
established ones to relocate
Young companies traditionally play a very important
role in new areas of technology, particularly in the early
stages of the transfer of fresh scientific knowledge into the
development of new products. The creation of a climate
conducive to entrepreneurship in schools, institutes of
higher education and research centres will help to promote
the establishment of new companies in the field of nanotechnology.
There are already a number of excellent
schemes which can be drawn on for support in operation in
this area, including the current BMBF and BMWA programmes
“Jugend gründet,” a programme to help young
entrepreneurs; EXIST (www.exist.de); “EEF-Fonds,” a
program to help scientists go into business (www.keim.de/
service-foerderung-eef.html); EXIST-Seed; “BTU-Frühphase,”
a scheme to provide seed funding for start-ups;
Measures to strengthen SMEs
The BMBF views enhancing access to R&D results for
SMEs and increasing their integration in this environment
through greater participation in European
education and research programmes as a long-term
responsibility. For this reason, the BMBF has now
introduced a range of measures designed to make
the technical programmes on offer for SMEs even
more attractive:
+ Introduction of clauses providing specific exceptions
from industry-wide agreements to facilitate
the provision of broader-based support for SMEs.
+The so-called side-entry program to provide SMEs
with a permanent right to apply for support, irrespective
of any deadlines that might otherwise be
in force.
+ Enhancement of the measures to ensure the transfer
and diffusion of research results from the technical
programs so that these reach a broad range
of interested SMEs.
+ Further simplifications in administration (simplified
credit assessment, reduction in external assessments,
increased use of flat-rate figures) to reduce
further the period between initial project proposal
and a decision whether to grant support.
+The introduction of harmonised conditions and
uniform calculation procedures for all technology
programmes directed at SMEs to result in further
simplifications in administration.
+The online processing of standard procedures
when applying for funding and the introduction of
the digital signature to increase the opportunities
on offer to process applications and other procedures
online.
+The BMBF’s newly established SME Advisory Office
to significantly enhance the search for the appropriate
funding and potential cooperation
partners.
+ Finally, with a view to intensifying existing project
work, cooperation with universities and technical
colleges is to be improved in the area of applied
research.
These measures are from the BMBF and BMWA
(Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour) initiative
“Innovation and Future Technologies for SMEs,”
which itself forms part of the federal government’s
campaign to promote SMEs.
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38
FUTOUR2000 (www.futour.de); and “Power für Gründerinnen,”
which aids young entrepreneurs (www.bmbf.de/pub/
exist-news-2001-01.pdf). Not only major companies from
both home and abroad but also, and in particular, newly
established enterprises profit from the applied focus of
nanotechnology research in Germany. Of benefit, too, are
the close ties that exist between basic research and
industrial R&D, as well as the good infrastructural support.
The field of nanotechnology offers a good indication of the
characteristics that are currently required for an attractive
industrial and manufacturing location: high market
demand, rigorous competition, favourable manufacturing
conditions and available research expertise must all be
present together.
+ There is now an increasing trend in the field of nanotechnology
towards establishing spin-offs and startups
from the higher education sector. Since the creation
of competence centres for nanotechnology, the
latter have assisted with the establishment of over 40
new companies. Such spin-offs from the academic
world greatly enhance the rapid transfer of research
results from the sphere of higher education to industry.
Moreover, they operate at the cutting edge of
technology and generally have direct access to R&D
support in higher education.
+ The healthy state of R&D in Germany also favours
company relocations from abroad. In knowledgeintensive
areas (of which nanotechnology is undoubtedly
one), foreign multinationals are often
more strongly specialised abroad than in their home
country, provided they can gain access to the essential
basic know-how at a foreign location. At the
same time, a healthy R&D environment also prevents
a possible migration of domestic companies and
research capacity.
+ Despite the positive trend of recent years, young nanotechnology
companies — which make up a significant
portion of the German nanotechnology industry
— are not yet on a firm footing. The research results
which these new companies look to exploit often
come directly from higher education or research
UV authenticity certificate
Source: Nanosolutions GmbH
establishments. As such, they are generally of a theoretical
nature and must first be developed over several
financially hazardous years of applied research
before they can be marketed, thus enabling the new
company to fund itself from its own revenues. In the
beginning, the majority of such companies are primarily
involved in research. During this phase, it is
often difficult to finance operations exclusively from
venture and outside capital, since investors often
consider this type of research as still too far removed
from the marketability stage. In other words, young
nanotechnology companies also require access to
funding for their own preliminary research projects.
This is the only way to ensure the successful establishment
of industrial nanotechnology in Germany
and that the related opportunities are properly
exploited.
Measures to support R&D-intensive SMEs
The BMBF is to increase its support for research
projects that help to put start-ups on a firm footing.
This will involve a new funding announcement
known as “NanoChance”, which aims — in a manner
similar to the successful BMBF initiative “BioChance”
— to help already existing companies, in the early
stages, to establish themselves on the market.
Within the framework of measures to support
innovation, assistance will also be provided with the
organisation of strategy events to coordinate
essential activities involving more than one player.
Furthermore, the BMBF will also fund the preparation
of market analyses to help budding entrepreneurs
assess their market chances. In order to
provide improved support during the growth phase
of young companies, the BMBF has combined its
support with the existing BMWA research-funding
program for SMEs and also helps entrepreneurs
procure further funding with which to carry out
innovation-related projects. The BMBF also aims to
strengthen the network between the various players
involved — e.g. with the help of the competence
centres.

Promoting the young and developing
qualifications
One of the most important factors that goes into shaping
a region’s economic development and thus the creation
of a nanotechnology-driven industry in Germany is not
only the presence of a capable scientific and economic
community but also the availability of qualified workers
on all levels.
If the increase sought in the number of self-employed people
and the quick diffusion of technologies wanted are to be
achieved, then a correspondingly qualified workforce is
needed. Education is thus the key to the future nanotechnology
job market.
Fostering young scientists
Businesses know all too well that a shortage of well-trained
workers can lead to bottlenecks, particularly when times are
booming. And economic experts even think such shortages
could act as a brake on Germany’s development as a business
location in the future, despite today’s high unemployment
rates. Increased investment in the education of young
scientists is becoming a decisive pre-requisite for boosting a
location’s future competitiveness and thus its potential for
growth and employment.
The wide diffusion of optimised products or products
with new functions on the basis of nanotechnological
know-how will depend in large part on whether producers
and users have the knowledge necessary to produce and
apply nanotechnological system components. Nanotechnology’s
inter-disciplinary nature and rapid development pose
a particular challenge to the education system and students,
particularly in terms of courses, instruction modules and
creation of new degree programs as well as the teaching and
learning of teamwork, and language and media expertise.
Some individual universities and technical colleges are
already addressing these issues by offering courses tailored
to nanotechnological disciplines, or are in the course of
organizing such courses.
Nanotechnology vs. the brain drain
With the reform of the law relating to employment
in higher education, the introduction of junior professorships
and the consistent expansion of German
institutes, colleges and universities, the BMBF is
supporting the modernisation and internationalisation
of the higher education system. In future,
nanotechnology will not be the only field where
there will be competition for top performers and
excellent scientists. The only way to boost the
attractiveness of Germany as a location for the
international elite is through a coordinated approach
on the parts of both industry and politics.
An internationally attractive scientific system is vital
if a country is to succeed in the worldwide competition
for innovation and attract the top brains. The
multiplicity and breadth of nanotechnology as a
subject area which is attracting increasing investment
in all high-technology countries and the sense
that a new industrial era is dawning are the reasons
why this race to secure the top brains has already
started and will be characterised by intense competition
in the coming years.
Experts still have differing views on the type of concrete
qualifications a person needs in order to be employed in the
field of nanotechnology. Some think it is necessary to offer
an interdisciplinary course on nanotechnology as part of the
undergraduate phase of university education. But others
view nanotechnology’s interdisciplinary character as a good
reason to include it as part of the more fundamental physics
or chemistry program in the form of an additional course.
Some have also suggested that nanotechnology should be
more strongly anchored in the engineering programs
offered by technical colleges. But the experts agree that an
early part of the training should include cooperative
partnerships with companies. It has also been suggested
that a student should initially complete a foundation
program that is coupled to one of the classical disciplines
(physics or chemistry, for example) before beginning to
focus on nanotechnology. The goal, though, is not to
educate and bring together specialists who have basic
39

40
knowledge of a specific discipline. Instead, the challenge
that universities and technical colleges face in the future
education of nanotechnologists is how to educate a rising
generation of scientists, engineers and technicians to be
versed in physics, chemistry and biology as well as
engineering, production technology and quality control.
Just such an education will be required to master the
interdisciplinary approaches vital for the conquest of
nanotechnology.
The BMBF also has initiated a number of activities
aimed at modernizing and strengthening the education and
professional-training systems, and raising the appeal of
Germany for young scientists, be they German or foreign.
These activities include post-graduate scholarships, the
DFG’s Emmy Noether Programme (www.dfg.de/aufgaben/
emmy-noether-programm.html), the “BioFuture” Programme
(www.bmbf.de/620-1138.html), the creation of junior
professorships, the university future initiative (ZIH) and the
fledgling effort to create internationally recognised
academic degrees (bachelor’s and master’s). In this
connection, international activities will have a major role to
play, creating contacts with research partners in other
countries at an early stage and enhancing the attractiveness
of Europe as a research location. The funding of education
and cross-border mobility therefore form a central pillar in
the sixth EU Framework Programme. A total of €1.58 billion
has been allocated to the Marie Curie Programme in the
sixth EU Framework Programme (www.humboldtfoundation.de/mariecurie)
to support, among other
projects, the research activities of postdoctoral students, the
creation of research teams with excellent young scientists
and the education of natural scientists on the basis of joint
research projects (“research education networks”) in an
effort to improve knowledge transfers between universities
and the business community. These opportunities must be
consistently utilized in nanotechnological research in order
to attract the world’s best minds.
Measures to support young scientists
To strengthen all of these efforts, the BMBF created
a program called “Junior Researcher Competition
Nanotechnology” in May 2002. It will give up to 250
scientists the chance to receive large amounts of
funding to conduct their own research into
scientifically and technically related disciplines
over a period of five years. Besides the goals just
mentioned, the competition will permeate the
participating fundamental disciplines and the
engineering sciences, giving fresh momentum to
the development and use of nanotechnology. In
addition, top young scientists who have left
Germany are to be encouraged to return home.
Source: BergerhofStudios, Cologne

Nano-Roadshow in Germany
Source: Flad & Flad Communication GmbH
Identifying qualification needs and developing
expertise at an early stage
New technologies such as nanotechnology require new
knowledge and skills. In future, employees will spend more
and more of their professional lives working with nanotechnological
methods and promoting their development in an
effort to create added value from them. As a result, companies
are increasingly seeking correspondingly higher qualifications.
This means that additional importance will be
placed not only on a top university education but also on
life-long learning and professional training. Both active
research institutes and their employees as well as entrepreneurs
in research-intensive sectors of business will depend
on such qualified staff members. In particular, attention
should be focused on the training of master craftsmen and
technicians. After all, they are the ones in the researchintensive
manufacturing industry who often become selfemployed
— college graduates tend more likely to start
companies in the knowledge-intensive services area.
Early recognition of professional qualification needs
can thwart any potential shortage of skilled employees.
Today, though, no one knows for sure what type of jobs
nanotechnology will entail. As a result, the German Ministry
of Education and Research has initiated detailed studies of
the nanotechnological content currently offered for professional
education and development and of the qualifications
required. Strategies to increase the acceptance of professional
development training make sense because only 10%
of employees, averaged over all current technological fields,
take advantage of further training opportunities.
One substantial contribution to strengthening Germany’s
competitive position in the nanotechnological field
is the definition at an early stage of the new professions — or
the upgrading of present jobs — and the additional qualifications
needed for nanotechnological processes as well as
the development of the necessary education and training
programs. This effort should also strive to awaken interest in
the natural sciences — and this encompasses the aim of increasing
the number of women in engineering or technical
professions and college programmes as well — early in
the schools. The nanotechnological centres commissioned
by the BMBF have already begun to address the issues and
are organizing such events as “Nanoscience Nights” for
young students and training sessions for teachers to show
early on what sort of professional prospects lie ahead.
Measures to support education and professional
development
The BMBF has commissioned a study to determine
how suitable the subject of nanotechnology is for
education and professional development. The study
is focusing on industry’s qualification needs and the
possible action that must be taken as a result of
them in order to identify trend qualifications that
will be important to future strategies aimed at
modernizing current skilled professions.
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Using opportunities for the good of society
while avoiding risks
As a far-reaching basic technology that touches on a wide
range of areas of society — including engineering, health,
individuality and communication — nanotechnology also
requires analysis in terms of innovation and technology.
Efforts running parallel to technological development must
examine possible social and environmental consequences in
order to develop options for action in terms of the socially
desired use of nanotechnology.
Evaluating the social consequences
The somewhat visionary expectations associated with the
design potential for creating entirely new materials and
products at the atomic and molecular levels require an early
public discussion of the question: What sort of effect could
these new technologies have on the lives of people and the
economy of Germany? This is why the German Ministry of
Education and Research is promoting a dialogue among
researchers, users and society about the opportunities and
risks associated with nanotechnology. It has also commissioned
several studies that are designed to deliver in-depth
Nanocubes for hydrogen storage
Source: BASF AG
information that can be used to evaluate the economic
potential and the socio-ecologic opportunities and risks. In
particular, the studies are designed to provide the major
players in the nanotechnology field with the numbers and
arguments that will support the further assessment of
nanotechnology:
+ One study on the economic potential of nanotechnology
is discussing current and possible future products
created through nanotechnology, and evaluate
their market potential. These findings could
serve as a decision-making basis for political arguments
related to the support of nanotechnology and
for investors. But the experts conducting the study
face one methodological difficulty: Although individual
nanotechnological components in many
products are needed to ensure marketplace success,
the products cannot necessarily be counted as nanotechnological
when viewed as total systems. A good
example here is a computer hard disk drive. The
layer composition of the write-read head depends on
ultra-thin films. But no one would consider describing
the entire hard disk as a nanotechnological
product. This leverage effect of nanotechnology is
difficult to quantify — and that is a key reason for the
widely differing current assessments of its market
and employment potential.

+ Nanotechnology’s potential contribution to sustainable
development is widely considered to be
high. As a “key technology of the 21st century”, it
could play an important role in helping to boost the
economy and improve the environment. To date,
scientific literature has discussed nanotechnology’s
environmental impact only in rudimentary terms —
while science fiction sometimes describes it in terms
of a threat scenario. Quantitative assessments have
not yet been made. A study commissioned by the
BMBF has been designed to provide concrete
empirical — and quantitative — data that will allow
experts to scientifically evaluate the environmental
opportunities and risks associated with nanotechnology
for the first time. The aims are, firstly, to
pinpoint nanotechnology’s potential effects in terms
of sustainability/environment as broadly as possible
and, secondly, to quantify these effects as far as possible
by citing selected, relevant examples of nanotechnological
uses or products.
+ A separate study is focusing on nanotechnology’s
uses in medicine and health care. Nanotechnology is
opening up new avenues in the development of
innovative therapies and diagnoses. The health-care
and socio-economic section of the study highlights
nanotechnology’s future social and economic potential
in these areas. Potential applications include
implants with nanostructured surfaces, specific
drug-delivery systems or nanoparticles for medical
imaging processes or particle-based hyperthermal
procedures.
Contacting with nerve cells
Source: Siemens AG
Measures to support the discussion about
opportunities and risks
The BMBF will play an active role in directing a
scientific/technological and social dialogue about
the environmental, health, social and political
aspects of nanotechnology. In particular, it will
provide interested citizens with facts and figures as
well as information about the technical and
economic opportunities of individual areas and their
recognizable risks. Based on the findings of these
studies and on work initiated by the European
Commission as part of the sixth EU Framework
Programme, other research activities will be
undertaken in order to provide political leaders
with concrete recommendations for action.
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Developing legal guidelines
At the moment, no one sees any need to introduce regulations
or additional laws covering nanotechnology. But,
within the framework of the socially relevant studies it has
commissioned, the BMBF is taking a close look at current
conditions regarding the use of nanotechnological products
and processes. After all, it is the responsibility of the national
research policy to ensure a high-level of protection for
people and the environment, and to review relevant laws
and regulations governing emission, labour and dust protection
in as far as they apply to nanotechnological processes.
Particularly when nanotechnological applications
and processes are applied to humans, it is crucial to examine
whether the relevant conditions laid down by biomedical
legislation are applicable or to what extent the legislative
framework requires further development with respect to
issues concerning safety and ethics.
Besides the discussion on the opportunities and risks
presented by the use of nanotechnological techniques, the
basic conditions governing the utilization of the results need
to be optimised. Special standardisation processes play a
major role in the diffusion of the results of innovation.
Particularly in the area of nanotechnology — where the
focus is on new size ranges, more sensitive process and
verification management, and new functions — international
competitiveness depends heavily on the ability to compare
product characteristics. International standards also do
much to intensify world trade. Only those who successfully
conduct R&D and do not shut themselves off from international
activities can have an impact on industrial standards and
shape standards in a manner that promotes innovation.
Patent activities are an essential part of the effort to
establish a strong competitive presence and a position of
technological strength. Fundamental patents that grow out
of innovative research serve as serious proof of accomplishment
and win international respect. Particularly in the area
of nanotechnology, a field filled with potential for discoveries,
patents are a necessity for survival.
Measures to support basic conditions
The BMBF plans to increasingly support those cooperative
efforts whose goal is to develop standards
for nanotechnological manufacturing processes and
characteristic values for surface coatings, layers,
particles and chemical compositions. The opportunities
offered by the large European domestic
market must be explored and strategic alliances
established with other economic regions.
The first of the standardisation tasks that
accompany developmental activities will address
the areas of analysis and metrology. In this regard,
the BMBF is funding a collaborative project in which
recommendations for processes capable of being
calibrated are being compiled and discussed as part
of international collaborative work. The BMBF will
also include necessary standardization activities in
the funding programme as part of other projects.
The ministry will also increasingly insist that
existing patent utilisation opportunities should be
exploited. A review will also be conducted into the
question of whether a strategic patent initiative is
necessary in areas that have high market potential
or a pivotal character.

Evaluation
Evaluations are being planned for the individual
programmes that contribute to the promotion concept
called “Nanotechnology conquers Markets.”
These evaluations will be overseen by the appropriate departments
responsible for the respective measure (leadingedge
innovations, for instance). A comprehensive evaluation
of the funding concept for nanotechnology will be compiled
from the individual reviews and presented at the beginning
of 2008.
Source: BergerhofStudios Köln
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Appendix
Examples of objectives for the application of
nanotechnology by relevant sector
Automotive
+ Sensor-based immobilisers (theft, alcohol content, ...)
+ Omnifunctional sensorics (acceleration, air pressure, tyre
wear, temperatures, gases, ...)
+ Scratch-proof plastic slides
+ Multifunctional coatings (design, heat-reflecting, easy-toclean,
self-healing)
+ Switchable adhesives (also for aircrafts, trains, ...)
+ Route planning (support by powerful I&C systems)
+ Switchable surfaces and background lighting (adaptive
materials with switchable feel, look, passive-active
characteristics)
+ Lightweight load-bearing and structural components,
intelligent damping elements, low-friction bearings and
running elements (also for faster vehicles with energysaving
drives)
+ Fuel-cell systems (membranes, storage tanks, ...)
+ Low-wear, super-high-grip tyres
+ Energy-saving, powerful lighting elements with high
lifetime and reliability (LED-based)
+ Minimization of friction
+ Drive by wire
Chemicals/pharmaceuticals/medicine
+ Preventive medical diagnostics (e.g. breath analysis, SNP
analysis)
+ Long-period release pharmaceutical implants (active
agent systems with sensors)
+ Gene vectors for gene therapy
+ New methods of combating cancer (nanoparticles as
delivery system or active elements)
+ Safe tanning (sun protection with sensors, intelligent
detectors for UV-A and UV-B)
Appendix
+ Artificial tissue/organ functions (nanostructured implant
surfaces, supporting frameworks, (artificial muscles,) ....)
+ High-resolution imaging processes with minimum patient
discomfort
+ Functional clothing (body function sensors, sweatabsorbing
cyclodextrins, perfume dispensers, medication
dispensers (neurodermatitis),...)
+ Programmable materials (from soft to hard, from transparent
to absorbent, reflecting, diffusive, switchable
electrical properties, self-organizing, ...)
+ Membranes for waste gas purification (chemical reactors,
coal-fired power stations, ...)
+ Cosmetics with reduced health risks and optimised feel
(nanosphere cremes, ...)
+ Nanoparticulate stabilised vitamins (core/shell + colour)
+ Superabsorbers
+ Catalysts
Optics
+ Lighting technology with optoelectronic components (e.g.
high-efficiency white light sources based on LEDs, all
colours (e.g. for traffic lights, automobile lights, ...))
+ Application of optoelectronic components in consumer
electronics (DVD, laser TV, ...)
+ Data recording (DVD, CD) with nanostructures
+ Display elements with nanostructured components
+ Optics with functional layers (photoelectrochromic
sunglasses with UV absorbers, scratch-resistant plastic
optics, ...)
+ Nanoparticles for photographic films
+ X-ray optics

I&C technologies/electronics
+ Data transmission and processing with high data density
and speed for highest-scale integration technologies
+ Global, individual world of information and experience
+ New types of lightweight, energy-saving and highresolution
displays
+ Portable I&C switching centres (cf. a watch, body
electronics)
+ Multifunction equipment (e.g. mobile with integrated
digital camera, alcohol sensors, digital house key, timer/
planer, ...)
+ Economic mass production of nanostructured polymer
electronics (high-performance disposable electronics,
identity sticks for following processes from production to
recycling, chips from the roll, DNA labels, …)
+ Completely digitalized home electronics miniaturised to fit
inside the furniture and capable of operation by voice
command
+ Large-area, three-dimensional image display for simulators
and consumer electronics
+ Completely electronic universal translator as handset (Babel
fish)
+ Versatile warning and assistance systems in vehicles —
digital copilot
Biotechnology
+ Wearable biochips, lab-on-a-chip, or other test systems for
individual diagnostics (forensics, allergy characteristics,
preventative medicine, laboratory use)
+ New DNA sequencing process (nanopore sequencing)
+ Improved microscopy process (AFM)
+ Directed manipulation of cellular structures
+ New methods of transfection (gene transfer)
+ Systems for cell banks (microsystems technology with
nanoanalytics and non-volatile data storage)
+ Neuroprosthetics
+ Data stores, optical and optoelectronic components on a
biomolecular basis
+ Biomolecules for certificates of authenticity
+ Biocatalysts for low-waste production of chemical
products
+ Cellular machines on a biological basis (visionary as
autonomous systems)
+ DNA labels, markers
+ Membranes (from S-layers, ...)
Food
+ Sensory, transparent packaging (indicates freshness) with
reduced permeability.
+ Nanoparticals in food (colours, thickening agents,
additives, sensors for poisons, ...)
+ Membranes for water purification (nanotube systems for
desalinisation, membranes for filtering, ...)
+ Plastic packaging with guarantee of food freshness (gastight,
light PET bottles)
Energy sector
+ Cheap solar cells (dye-sensitised, possibly low efficiency,
but high price/performance ratio)
+ Efficient, compact energy stores (nanoparticle capacitors
with fast charge-discharge characteristic)
+ Independence from petroleum sector
Construction sector
+ Intelligent facades (multifunctional and switchable, e.g.
photoelectrochromic coatings, heat-regulating, light
conductive, useable as lighting and display surfaces, ...)
+ dirt-repellent, or also antibacterial surfaces (e.g. kitchen
furniture, sanitary goods, ...)
+ Transparent protective coatings for steel, copper, ...
+ Heating systems (ceramics as components, membranes for
fuel cells, …)
+ Photovoltaics (TiO2 surfaces, Grätzel cells, ...)
+ Lightweight construction materials with maximum heat
insulation (aerogels, polymer composites, fire-protection
walls, nanoencapsulated latent heat stores...)
Leisure
+ Ski wax
+ Sports shoes
+ Leisure clothing
+ Tennis rackets
+ Strong sporting equipment of all types
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