Benefiting the nano way!

‘Big things come in small packages’ is an old adage and perhaps the word big may be interchanged with good or great and here I certainly am not referring to nano taxi cabs hitting the streets of Colombo! How true this statement is going to be in 21st Century.

It is important that we do not see only incremental mechanisms to realise economic growth for Sri Lanka. The opportunity presented to us living in the midst of a technology revolution is simply too big to ignore. 

Discovery and innovation has always been a hallmark of human existence on this planet with the pace always showing an acceleration – may be sometimes termed as too fast for one’s own good. The acceleration has been noticeable in the last part of the last century and with the emergence of a new revolution in the making – nanotechnology-based industrial revolution.

Small packages

In nanotechnology we are interested in manipulating matter in the range of one nm to 100 nm. The diameter of a strand of your hair may be 80,000 nm and that is an indication of the degree of size.

If you are a six-footer then you are approximately two billion nanometers tall. One will go on to develop materials, devices and systems by engineering these matter at this scale. It certainly calls for some imagination and ingenuity when we pack small packages with unusual properties and deliver them in a big way for great results.

Nanotechnology development can be characterised through a variety of indicators. A global summary along some popular indicators for two years 2000 and 2010 are given in the table to indicate the pace of growth.

It is important to realise that in United States its National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) has come second only to the space programme in terms of civilian science and technology investment. 

The interest shown by the US Government is indicative of the big expectations that it has. It is also an indication that during the nascent stages of an evolving opportunity the state has to take a lead and a pioneering role in fostering development.

The private sector is an unlikely contributor at this stage. When returns become evident the private sector’s presence increases. This is important to be realised by those who mange financial allocations and allotments for scientific development. 

Global data is revealing with the table giving data for six key indicators. It should be noted that these indicators can be taken across to identify growth in any economy and it is interesting to note that indicators such as papers in indexed journals, patent applications and venture capital investment are not frequent indicators that one will come across in a Sri Lankan financial or economic discussion.

We still gravitate around cost-of-living and year-on-year inflation indexes, perhaps. Ask for the meaning of indexed journals from our planning community and one may be in for a surprise. While the world has addressed these as key indicators, we are not even measuring some of these in our day-to-day planning and policy settings.

Capitalising on opportunity

More than 70 countries across the world have national nanotechnology initiatives as they realised the potential and almost all happened in the period 2000-2005. Fortunately Sri Lanka is also one of them. Being fortunate is not sufficient and we must capitalise on this opportunity and that calls for multi-agency understanding as well as innovative thinking from the private sector participants who have shown pioneering behaviour in this regard.

Look at our industrial landscape – with millions in employment we are pressed to realise a billion dollars per million employed. That is evident from tea to garments. The economic planners are looking at billion rupee sectors.

Note the relationship between the primary workforce and the value of final products in nanotechnology. It is the sort of relationship that we should aspire to, especially considering that we are looking at being a knowledge hub. 

Momentum in nanotechnology

It was around 2000 that this momentum in nanotechnology started at the confluence of primary and applied sciences – physics, chemistry, biology and engineering. By 2020 nanotechnology is expected to reach widespread use in industry and medicine and is tipped to be at the core of technologies that will define the 21st century.

Having started the initiative in 2005, Sri Lanka is currently in an opportunistic position on the time scale for growth and prosperity. For the first time Central Bank’s 2010 Annual report carried an article on Sri Lanka’s expectations and progress in nanotechnology, which was a welcome addition.

When one considers a new technology it is important to understand what can one do with it. Nanotechnology indeed offers many options and I am sure that we do not yet understand the full spectrum of possibilities.

The possibilities range from transforming medicine, energy, productivity, sustainability and quality of life. An all-options-in-one panacea and perhaps too true to believe. Time indeed will tell though we should not be sitting by the wayside watching developments unfold, but should be in the thick of things ourselves.

Many Sri Lankans do figure in nanotech developments elsewhere. However, what really matters for our own development is that we deliver innovation from this tiny isle as well.

Internal requirements

One must not forget the internal requirements in nano work force. NNI in USA is currently training 10,000 students and teachers per year. 

In USA the estimation of Nanotech workers needed by 2015 is two million! As we are moving ahead with research and development activities, we too should be cognisant of this fact.

There was an active movement by the National Institute of Education (NIE) in Sri Lanka to introduce the nanotechnology at advanced level which I believe now has been postponed. Developing human resources is a long process and earlier we embark on this it is better for us. 

Today you find that concepts such as microbial fuel cells and dye-sensitised solar cells are secondary school experiments with experimental kits being available and the existence of companies serving such needs.

Our definition of lab facilities available at school level is almost a primitive benchmarking. Hope this decision to delay nanotech in school curricula will receive review and corrective action taken.

Another interesting aspect is with the opportunities of building solar cells to fighting cancer cells, there is the likelihood of sparking an interest in science and technology education. It is an angle that those who are responsible for science education must not miss.

We must create public awareness and assess growth. It is evident that in Sri Lanka sensationalism goes a long way and much harm has been done to science. This is not pointing fingers only at journalists but towards scientists as well.

Negative possibilities

Anything new just need not be accepted with open arms. One needs to be cautious on adverse effects and potential threats. History is replete with examples to justify this statement. The discussion on nanotechnology in this angle has already started and Sri Lanka too has launched a programme which is headed by the National Science Foundation.

There is a growing international community in nano-EHS (Environmental, Health and Safety) and in nano-ELSI (Ethical, Legal and Social Issues). There are funding disparities in supporting these latter areas, a fact seen globally. 

It is known that more investment flows in directions where returns are expected. It is important while highlighting the enormous benefits that we just do not turn a blind eye towards negative possibilities. Remember while the automobile has added life and spice to lives, it too has taken a heavy toll.

The Greek word nanos, meaning dwarf, gives the name to the scale and it is indeed a situation where wise old comments are being proved true in this modern day and age.

 How we as a nation rise up to realise the benefits by joining the nanotech forces may show that Sri Lanka in the 21st century is not only a salubrious destination to spend your holidays but a destination to be in exercising and rejuvenating your grey matter as we become part of those who define the 21st century landscape.

An exotic island discovering exotic approaches to new products and processes is indeed an exotic prospect! Prof. Philip Kotler’s comment can re-echo – “So Lovely!”

(Professor Ajith de Alwis is Professor of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. With an initial BSc Chemical engineering Honours degree from Moratuwa, he proceeded to the University of Cambridge for his PhD. He is a Science Team Leader at the Sri Lanka Nanotechnology Institute. He can be reached via email on [email protected])