Where are some of the best places to locate a nanotechnology production or research facility? A lot of executives may be wrestling with that question. Industry forecasters estimate spending on nanotech products could reach $1 trillion annually by 2015, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Having an existing nanotech infrastructure in place is crucial for a new operation, said Lloyd L. Tran, program director for the International Association of Nanotechnology.
A new plant should be near a nanotech research center so management can tap the expertise of knowledgeable researchers.
There are about a dozen such centers across the country, including facilities in San Francisco, San Jose, Silicon Valley and Los Angeles in California; Albany, N.Y.; MIT and Harvard in Massachusetts; Northwestern University in Illinois; and Rice University in Texas.
Support services are part of the infrastructure that Tran envisions for a newly located nanotechnology operation. It’s not wise, he said, to set up a nanotechnology operation in the middle of nowhere.
“The availability of a tool shop, even though it may be very low tech, is important,” Tran said. “Having many small businesses and shops available to offer prototype engineering services is a big plus.”
Work Force is Vital
High on Tran’s list of requirements when siting a nanotech operation is the availability of a skilled work force.
Nanotechnology is a relatively young industry, and it’s an interdisciplinary field that requires experience in chemistry, biotechnology, IT, information systems and engineering.
Tran cautioned that the U.S. education system has not produced enough skilled engineers, scientists or technicians for the nanotechnology sector.
Steve Crosby, president and publisher of Small Times Media, is another nanotechnology industry leader who knows the importance of a skilled work force.
Each year, one third of high-tech graduates in the United States are foreign-born, Crosby said. For years, these students found jobs here following graduation.
Increasingly, however, thanks to the emergence of high-tech industries in Asia, foreign-born graduates are returning home, attracted by challenging, well-paying jobs near their families and friends.
“As the U.S. nanotech industry grows and the demand for highly trained workers increases, the U.S. must either dramatically increase the number of domestic science and technical graduates or face a labor shortage severe enough to limit growth of the industry,” Crosby said.
A strong education establishment is key to wooing nanotech startups to the Boston metro, said Gregory Perkins, interim director of research for the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
“There are 74 colleges and universities in the Boston region, including some of the [best] in the U.S,” Perkins said. “That’s got to be of interest to prospective nanotech employers, knowing all the opportunities for graduate education and degrees.”
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