2

nanotimes Content | Editor‘s Letter Content Dear Readers,

From the late 90s to 2004 just the word nanotech was a funding umbrella. Today, the situation has regulated itself. E.g. cleantech plays a major role in the nanotechnology sector now.

World Record for Inverters with HERIC®

Topology (46) Watchlist

Wastewater Discharge X-Seed®

Angstron Materials Companies

News in Brief EU-Projects

Reports Events 2011/2012 Cartoon Corner Trends | Quotes Imprint 06 – 07 Crystals from BASF

08 – 09 10 – 13 14 – 15

16 – 45

46 – 81 82 – 83

84 – 85 86 – 91 92 93 – 95 95

Nevertheless, many companies don‘t want to be pushed in the ‘nanotech corner‘ since the word ‘nano‘ carries rather negative connotations because of the public discussion about toxicity. There is no official definition of nano until now, and that doesn‘t make things easier.

If you retrospectively look at the technology market over the last 10 years in Europe, US and Asia, it is still too bad that Europe – compared to Asia and the US – has so few nano-/microtech companies that are Global Players and also public companies. Europe has extraordinarily many patents. However, a more product-oriented R&D is still missing.

In contrast to the US, reasons are certainly the still rather weakly developed financing options and the lacking risk tolerance of most investors to invest in projects that take at least 10 years to eventually enter the market. However, there are rays of hope: In this edition we introduce a com- pany called QuantaRed Technologies. The Nor- wegian oil company Statoil ASA got into business with the Austrian high-tech company this month [ page 8].

11-05 :: May/June 2011

Editor‘s Letter