National Nanotechnology Initiative partners with USDA to Host Cellulose Nanomaterials Workshop

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) is pleased to announce the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service to host “Cellulose Nanomaterials – A Path Towards Commercialization."

The primary goal of the workshop is to identify the critical information gaps and technical barriers in the commercialization of cellulose nanomaterials with expert input from user communities. Speakers will include Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Tom Kalil, as well as senior officials from USDA. The workshop also supports the announcement last December by USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack regarding the formation of P3Nano, a public-private partnership between the USDA Forest Service and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities to rapidly advance the commercialization of cellulose nanomaterials. In addition, the workshop supports the goals of the NNI Sustainable Nanomanufacturing Signature Initiative.

This workshop is being organized by USDA in collaboration with and co-sponsored by the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). It will bring together high-level executives from government and multiple industrial sectors to identify pathways for the commercialization of cellulose nanomaterials and will facilitate communication across industry sectors to determine common challenges.