News this week about the founding of the Chesapeake Nanotechnology Initiative. Maryland, Virginia and DC are joining forces to create a strong nanotech research/business cluster to try to divert some of the research and investment money away from the big players in the nano market: California, Massachusetts (especially MIT), New York (IBM at Albany Nanotech Research) and Texas (Texas Nanotechnology Intitiative). It's a good move not just for the for the economic development folks in Virginia, Maryland and DC but also for the universities and the defense companies like Lockheed Martin, SAIC (through its relationship with Nanosys) and BAE Systems.
For some real life nanotech applications, check out MIT's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, which is funded by a $50 million contract from the U.S. Army. Every year ISN holds a design competition to generate new products and systems that will help the modern soldier both on and off the battlefield. "Focused on practical, non-weapons products like body armor cooling systems and battery rechargers, the technology that comes out of the competition often has dual-use potential for firefighters, police, or even athletes," the site says. In the 2005 competition, first and second place prizes went to teams from West Point for a battery scavenger system that recovers the power remaining in partially depleted batteries (first place) and for a computerized tracking system gives soldiers advance warning of incoming strikes through small radio pagers (second place).
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