Wednesday September 20, 2006
Nanotech at full speed
By DHARMENDER SINGH
SERDANG: Malaysia has launched its National Nanotechnology Initiative to intensify the country's capability in nanotechnology.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the global race to incorporate nanotechnology into products was advancing at an unprecedented rate and was now reaching a phase that would see a growth of the technology across manufactured goods over the next 10 years.
Najib was speaking during the launch of the International Council of Science (ICSU) Regional Office for Asia and The Pacific based here and the launch of the National Nanotechnology Initiative yesterday.
He said nanoscience and nanotechnology had tremendous potential in fields such as healthcare, information technology, energy production, national defence, aerospace, manufacturing, agriculture and environment management.
He said governments and businesses had invested heavily in the field with the estimated global investment standing at about ?5bil (RM23.34bil) and Malaysia too now had six research and development centres working on nanostructured materials, nanocatalysts, nanoelectronic devices and drug delivery systems.
He said the initiative spearheaded by the Environment, Science and Innovation Ministry would allow these centres to be upgraded to attract the best talents as well as industry partners.
“The centres will operate as a network to facilitate the mobility of scientists and the sharing of resources,” he said, adding that the Government also planned to set up the National Nanotechnology centre to reflect its pivotal role in Malaysia's economic development.
He said Malaysia had also undertaken a programme to strengthen its science capabilities and this was clear from the objective under the Ninth Malaysia Plan which was to increase the number of research scientists and engineers from 21 to 50 for every 10,000 workforce by the year 2010.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the Government realised that the development of technologies such nanotechnology and biotechnology required extensive collaboration and networking with international partners and hoped that the setting up of the ICSU regional office here would serve as an important international link.
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