May 10 2013
World is getting smaller. That will be illustrated in Washington D.C. from May 12-16 not only by the number of different nationalities represented, but also by the subject matter of the Nano Science and Technology Institute (NSTI) Conference & Expo 2013.
Germany Trade & Invest will be at the NSTI explaining the latest developments arising in Europe's innovation capital.
Yet while the product of the nanotechnology market is on the small side, it is becoming a vast market. Some intelligence providers state that the global nanotechnology market might have a value of up to US$ 3 trillion by 2015. It is one of the central themes in the eighth stage of the 'EU Framework Programme', in which German industry players traditionally take a significant share.
Little wonder that Germany is in on the act. Generally renowned as Europe's leading light in R&D, Germany ranks number three in the world in global nanotechnology patent applications, having splashed EUR 1.3bn on nanotechnology R&D in 2010 (some 10% of the annual turnover). According to the German Nanotechnology Association (DVN), that figure rose to EUR 1.4bn in 2011. Half of Europe's nanotechnology companies are German - the number of key German players in the nanotechnology industry has increased by 50% since 2008, with a huge 61,000 employees in the sector at the end of 2010.
"What's particularly special about Germany's nanotech industry is that due to its healthy industrial foundation, the demand and the subsequent creation of value added in industry is guaranteed" said Dr. Rainer Müller , Senior Manager Nanotechnology at Germany Trade & Invest.