Small Technology Focus of Big EffortThe research and industrialization of nanometer technology will be one of the main priorities in Jiangsu Province's new century drive to develop its science sector, according to an official from the provincial Development Planning Commission.A new branch of science that combines physics with engineering, nanometre technology, also called nano-technology, allows scientists to make microscopic changes in the structure of certain substances (see story on the Terracotta Warriors, this page). One nanmetre is equivalent to one-billionth of a metre . Over the past 15 years, the field has attracted attention from scientists all over the world, partly because it has incredible potential for profitable application in a number of industrial sectors. To support further development of China's nano-technology, provincial leaders recently established the Jiangsu Nanometre Technology and Material Engineering Research Centre. The centre is a joint endeavour run by enterprises, universities and research institutes from Jiangsu Province and Shanghai. Jiangsu Hehai (Group) Corporate, a successful river channel dredging company in Taixing in northern Jiangsu, has agreed to provide 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) for the operation of the centre, and scientists and research personnel from Fudan University in Shanghai, Nanjing Chemical Engineering University and a few other universities in Jiangsu will carry out the research. "Although research of nanometre technology in our country is relatively new, we have progressed quite rapidly and caught up with developed countries like the United States in terms of laboratory work,'' explained Du Youwei, an expert on nanometre technology and director of the Nanometre Technology Research Centre at Nanjing University. Du cautioned, however, that there is still a long way to go before Chinese scientists will be able to turn their research results into industrial products. The common view among experts and scholars is that, at present, the prospects for practical applications of nano-technology in China are limited because of a lack of research funding and general public ignorance about its broad applications. This has not discouraged Du. He claimed, nanometre technology will soon be widely applied throughout China, bringing about a revolution in a variety of sectors, including information industry, biology, energy, environment and manufacturing. The aim of setting up the centre is to accelerate the industrialization of nanometre research achievements and promote the upgrading of traditional industrial sectors in the province, officials aid. The centre will be operated in compliance with the market economy and will concentrate on textile dyeing, chemistry, electronic parts, building materials and glass manufacturing. |
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