New body to promote nanotechnology in UK
The Nanotech Association was launched on the day that UK science minister Lord Sainsbury outlined the government’s strategy for making the UK a leader in nanotechnology. The association is made up of companies ranging from multinational corporations to cutting edge startups. They include BASF, Smith & Nephew, QinetiQ Nanomaterials, Oxonica, Syrris, JR Nanotech, Innos, Guardline, Semefab and Micromech.
The Nanotech Association says that its mission is to serve as a source of "authoritative information on the many uses of this technology" and provide a forum for debate on nanotechnology. In an official launch statement, Kevin Matthews, the chief executive of Oxonica and a founder member of the association, said: "The potential of nanotechnology is vast. This technology has already made an impact on cosmetics, electronics and healthcare and the scope for developing further applications is huge."
Matthews also praised the UK government for not caving in to scaremongering over nanotechnology. In his speech at the Science Museum in London, Sainsbury said that a moratorium on manufactured nano-particles – which some environmentalists have demanded – would cause society to "grind to a halt".
