A Quadrennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Nanoscience, Applications, and Commercialization (2020) / Chapter Skim
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2 The U.S. Nanotechnology R&D Ecosystem
2 The U.S. Nanotechnology R&D Ecosystem
Pages 20-61
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From page 20... ...
nano.gov/signatureinitiatives, accessed 04/16/2020. 2 See National Nanotechnology Initiative, "Highlights of the NNI Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives," https://www.nano.gov/node/1536, accessed 04/16/2020.
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PCA 1: Nanotechnology Signature Initiatives and Grand Challenges The following subsections provide a description of each of the six signature initiatives and the future computing Grand Challenge. NSI on Nanotechnology for Solar Energy Collection and Conversion (2010-2015)
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In January 2020, DOE launched its Energy Storage Grand Challenge build ing on the $158 million Advanced Energy Storage Initiative announced in the President's 2020 budget request. The aim is to create a comprehensive program to accelerate the development, commercialization, and utilization of next-generation energy storage.
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8 seeks to form partnerships with industry and academia with a shared interest in the development of new manufacturing approaches.9 For example, the city of Lanzhou, China, hosts a demonstration project for direct solar fuel synthesis at the thousand-ton scale,10 while the EU and Switzerland funded a mobile pilot plant producing jet fuel at a scale large enough to be relevant to large-scale industrial implementation.11 Two thrust areas are supported by the 11 participating agencies: 8 See National Nanotechnology Initiative, "NSI White Paper: Sustainable Nanomanufacturing -- Creating the Industries of the Future," https://www.nano.gov/node/611, accessed 04/16/2020. 9 See National Nanotechnology Initiative, "NSI: Sustainable Nanomanufacturing -- Creating the Industries of the Future," https://www.nano.gov/NSINanomanufacturing, accessed 04/16/2020.
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This NSI can impact the Manufacturing USA/National Network for Manufacturing Innova tion (NNMI) institutes that are focused all or in part on advanced materials and their production.
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Horizon 2020 Program on Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Processing, and Biotechnology.17 This large program seeks to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) via open innovation test beds; m aterials characterization and computational modeling; factories of the future; sustainable process industries -- see for example the roadmap of the Sustainable Process Indusry Through Resource and Energy Efficiency (SPIRE)
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program to develop science and implement training in quantum information science (QIS) .24 To be successful with the NQI, quantum 20 See National Nanotechnology Initiative, "Highlights from the Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond (Nanoelectronics)
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startid=39#/22. 26 See National Nanotechnology Initiative, "NSI: Nanotechnology Knowledge Infrastructure (NKI)
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In addition, the EU-U.S. Nanoinformatics 2030 Roadmap,36 developed in 2017, used the results from the Nanotechnology Knowledge Infrastructure Signature Initiative.
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Leiva, "Demystifying the Digital Thread and Digital Twin Concepts," Industry Week Magazine, August 1, 2016, https://www. industryweek.com/technology-and-iiot/systems-integration/article/22007865/demystifying-the- digital-thread-and-digital-twin-concepts, accessed 04/16/2020. 39 See National Nanotechnology Initiative, "NSI: Nanotechnology for Sensors and Sensors for Nanotechnology -- Improving and Protecting Health, Safety, and the Environment," https://www.
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Within each of the federal agencies collaborating under the umbrella of the NSI on water sustainability, there are strong research programs bridging basic and translational research aligned with the NSI goal, including an Engineering Research Center (ERC; Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology- 40 See summary and white paper from this NSI launch, National Nanotechnology Initiative, "Water Sustainability Through Nanotechnology: Nanoscale Solutions for a Global-Scale Challenge," https:// www.nano.gov/nsiwater, accessed 04/16/2020. 41 See National Nanotechnology Institute, "Water Sustainability through Nanotechnolo gy: Nanoscale Solutions for a Global-Scale Challenge," https://www.nano.gov/nsiwater, accessed 04/16/2020.
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Subsequent to an initial burst of interagency activity coinciding with the launch of the NSI on water sustainability (in 2016) , the committee found little evidence of follow-up collaborative efforts between the agencies from 2017 to 2019.
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applications. Currently, there does not seem to be much publicly available material about this NSI, other than the overarching government National Strategic Computing Initiative Update: Pioneering the Future of Computing from the White House in 2019.44 PCA 2: Foundational Research As defined by the NNI, foundational research includes the following:45 • Discovery and development of fundamental knowledge pertaining to new phenomena in the physical, biological, and engineering sciences that occur at the nanoscale; • Elucidation of scientific and engineering principles related to structures, processes, and mechanisms; • Research aimed at discovery and synthesis of novel nanoscale and nano structured materials and at a comprehensive understanding of the proper 43 See National Nanotechnology Initiative, "NNI Vision, Goals, and PCAs," https://www.nano.gov/ about-nni/what/vision-goals, accessed 04/16/2020.
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The committee observed that the relative strength of citations for U.S.-origin scientific publications is a strong indicator that it is among the leading nations for advancing foundational nanotechnology research in nanoscale materials and struc tures, even though its relative position is being eroded rapidly by competitors.46,47 That said, it is not at all clear how much of this published foundational work depends causally on the coordination by the NNI, given that the NNI does not enumerate or otherwise account for the actual scientists and engineers who are actively involved in the NNI's aggregated activities. Further, although the commit tee was highly interested in assessing the impact48 of PCA 2 on national security matters after nearly two decades of investment, it found that there are not substan tive, validated means to assess the relative position of the United States in national security terms.49 There are numerous, specific material systems and categories that differ in priority and emphasis by region (e.g., the strong investments in graphene in the EU)
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inventors.51,52 50 See National Nanotechnology Initiative, "Department of Defense (DOD) ," https://www.nano.
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57 53 National Science and Technology Council, National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan, October 2016, https://www.nano.gov/sites/default/files/pub_resource/2016-nni-strategic-plan.pdf, accessed 04/16/2020.
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nanotechnology infrastructure programs have been recognized as international leaders and viewed as a "role model" by which infrastructures in other countries have been developed. They have worked collaboratively across agencies and sites to ensure that the United States was at the forefront of tool development for mate rials production, processing and forming, and related metrology.
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,69 in Suzhou, China These international infrastructure programs and nanotechnology hubs repre sent significant investments in their respective regions. As an example, SINANO was founded in 2006 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences with local authorities to support nanotechnology research related to information, energy, life sciences, and the environment.
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This establishment and operation of core facilities, such as the NNCI, is considered a key strength of the NNI, with impact reaching communities even beyond the classical nanoscale engineering and science. The five DOE NSRCs provide complementary facilities capabilities that are internation ally accessible,74 NIST operates a NanoFab user facility,75 and the NCI operates an NCL.76 These broadly accessible core facilities are particularly useful for small companies and sers from universities outside the network institutions.
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78 SeenanoHub, "Usage: Overview," https://nanohub.org/usage, accessed 01/30/2020. 79 National Research Council, 2016, Triennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
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PCA 5: Environmental Health and Safety The United States has implemented and maintained a sustained R&D com mitment to responsible nanomaterials innovation, and this continues at a time of decreased investment in this area. In 2016, about 10 percent of NNI agency funding was devoted to the EHS of nanomaterials and devices, while in 2020, the estimate is 4 percent, or $80 million, according to the NNI Supplement to the President's 2020 Budget.82 The focus continues to advance the goals of PCA 5, Environ ental m 82 See National Science and Technology Council, The National Nanotechnology Initiative Supple ment to the President's 2020 Budget, https://www.nano.gov/sites/default/files/pub_resource/NNI FY20-Budget-Supplement-Final.pdf, accessed 04/16/2020.
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This has been achieved through extensive interagency collaborations that have both advanced knowledge and improved methods and practices in occupational safety. These collaborations include voluntary workplace testing by NIOSH, by research on consumer product nanoparticle releases by CPSC and NIOSH, and by CPSC collaboration with NIST on a dust exposure survey.
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, linking exposure to health outcomes, human exposure assessment to workers and products risk assessment and management (focus on research gaps and priorities, in vitro and alternative testing strategies) , informatics and modeling, and other areas including collaborations, workshops, outreach, and signature initiatives.
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93 See EUON, https://euon.echa.europa.eu/, accessed 04/16/2020. 94 See National Nanotechnology Initiative, "Resources for Nanotechnology Laboratory Safety," https://www.nano.gov/LabSafety, accessed 04/16/2020.
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Further, the collaborative partnerships resulting from NNI coordination on EHS has built a professional community and shared infrastructure that will support responsible innovation as nanotechnology continues on its path to commercialization. These observations indicate that for the United States to compete successfully in future nanotechnology commercialization, it should be a leader in R&D of the tools needed to ensure responsible development and safe use of nanotechnol ogy.
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Research laboratories, producers c and anu acturers working with engineered nanomaterials have the opportunity m f to participate in a cost-free, on-site assessment."97 To date, NIOSH has "com pleted assess ents at over 100 facilities that are involved in the research, manufac m ture, or use of various types of nano and advanced materials and manufacturing processes."98,99 From 2009 to 2016, NIST led the establishment of fundamental measurement infrastructure in support of nanotechnology-related EHS research.100 The program produced 9 reference materials and 24 engineered nanomaterial measurement protocols available online101 in addition to over 200 publications. Further, program 96 See National Science and Technology Council, The National Nanotechnology Initiative Supple ment to the President's 2020 Budget, https://www.nano.gov/sites/default/files/pub_resource/NNI FY20-Budget-Supplement-Final.pdf, accessed 04/16/2020.
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The nation's EHS research on responsible innovation directly supports the NNI mission by addressing one of the major obstacles to transfer of new tech nologies into safe products. This occurs by the collection of data, the development of safety guidelines, and the transfer of safety test methods to the private sector.
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Many of these began or occurred more than 10 years ago -- for example, the Responsible Nano Code, a multisector derived set of principles for nanomaterials research. In 2005, the American Chemistry Council and the Environmental Defense (now the Environmental Defense Fund, or EDF)
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Chemicals industry groups such as the American Chemistry Council,108 the Personal Care Products Council,109 and the American Cleaning Institute110 have also been active in providing perspectives on nanotechnology standardization and regulation. OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF VALUE OF THE PCAS After conducting this assessment, the committee recognized that the PCAs have served a useful organizing purpose that has promoted interagency coordination in areas of national relevance.
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This delayed timing of investment outside the United States has allowed other countries to benefit from foundational nanoscience research developed through early efforts in the United States, and to more effectively focus their investment in areas ripe for commercialization and public benefit. While the United States has begun to benefit from knowledge flows in the opposite direction, there is a growing concern, as detailed below, that other countries have established facilities and innovative mechanisms for agile commer cialization that go beyond those that currently exist in the United States.
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Complementing this central hub, Japan created the Nanotechnology Platform Japan in 2012, a delocalized national platform that by 2016 had facilities in 26 member institutes and universities, 3,000 users annually, and an annual budget of 1.7 billion yen ($15.5 million USD) .115 The NBCI in Japan116 is an industry-driven organization supported by mem bership dues (e.g., from participating multinationals, small and medium-size enter prises, trading companies, venture capital and consulting firms, and universities)
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The committee does not see similarly structured, at-scale programs in effect in the United States at this time. Horizon 2020, a European research and innovation Framework Program, is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union,120 a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness.
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In addition to providing physical facilities and technical expertise to aid prototyping and product manu facturing, IMEC provides innovation support and venturing services to advance product development and commercialization. This suite of services is assembled to suit the specific stage of product development, including facilities and expertise such as living labs, prototyping and testing, IP licensing, technology test labs, pro duction and growth, start-up, scale-up, expansion, spin-off, mentoring, as well as partnering innovators with users, partners, advisors, and venture capital funders.123 121 See European Commission, "News," http://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/open innovation-open-science-open-world-vision-europe, accessed 04/16/2020.
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The number of patents relying on federal funding almost doubled between 2008 and 2017 (22,647 to 45,220) .128 This upward shift in importance of universities in innovation is seen, and even more strongly embraced elsewhere, as evidenced by the robust engagement of universities in all of the foreign nanotechnology centers described here.
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, NASA, and the NSF. In addition, industry consortia, including Semi onductor Research Corporation, the American Chemistry Council, and the c American Forest and Paper Association, have played a key role in nanotechnology tech transfer and commercialization, providing technology development roadmaps 129 L
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The NNI is closely involved in a National Nanomanufacturing Network (NNN) intended to support progress in nanomanufacturing in the United States via work shops, road mapping, interinstitutional collaborations, technology transition, test beds, and information exchange services.133 At the core of the NNN are the six NSEC facilities supported by the NNI agencies.
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identifying steps to develop human capital with experience in technology transfer, including by expanding opportunities for entrepreneurship education; and (5) maximizing the economic impact of the SBIR and STTR programs.137 Although not specifically aimed at nanotechnology, the ROI Initiative can be leveraged to develop more successful 134 See SUNY Polytechnic Institute, https://sunypoly.edu/, and "SUNY Poly College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SUNY_Poly_College_of_Nanoscale_ Science_and_Engineering, both accessed 04/16/2020.
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The American Chemical Society Journals feature nanotechnology explicitly with publications such as Nano Letters and ACS Nano. The European Union provides an excellent website140 with information about nanotechnology in the form of games, videos, posters, images, and art, as well as virtual and hands-on activities to deepen the understanding of properties of 138 See National Nanotechnology Initiative, "Educational Resources," https://www.nano.gov/ education-training, accessed 04/16/2020.
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The nano.gov website provides a repertory of associate degrees and certification as well as graduate degrees in nanoengineering. Nano link145 is an NSF-funded Advanced Technological Center for Nanotechnology Education serving students, educators, and industry to ensure a supply of highly skilled workforce for the nanotechnology industry.
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The Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI) 148 in Hong Kong trains its staff to focus on market- and demand-driven R&D to develop platforms required for innovative products and upgrade the technology of existing enterprises.
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Examples of successes include the NSIs on water sustainability and environmental nanosensors to detect heavy metal contamination.150 Additionally, NNI efforts have established the United States as a global leader in the integration of EHS considerations into commercialization efforts, which have played a key role in generating acceptance of nanotechnologies by the public. Other notable successes of the NNI include the early establishment of a network of world-class facilities for academic nanoscience research.
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Further, the committee fears that evaluation of the return on investment in U.S. basic nanoscience research in terms of societal and economic benefit is challenging in many cases because of lack of systematic data gathering, particularly when compared with the data gathering efforts of other countries.
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