Feb 16 2009
NanoQuébec President and CEO, Dr. Robert Crawhall, is proud to announce the signature of a memorandum of understanding between NanoQuébec and Nagano Techno Foundation to help develop nanotechnologies. The agreement, valid for five years, was signed today during the first international workshop on nanotechnology, in Nagano, Japan. Representants from many countries along with the Délégation Générale du Québec à Tokyo were present at the signature ceremony.
Nagano Techno Foundation has been selected by the Japan Ministry of Science and Technology to develop a nanotechnology center of excellence in this region by nurturing collaboration between the industry, universities and government. This organization combines expertises from Shinshu University and many other research institutions and companies from the Nagano prefecture. Nagano Techno Foundation president, Mr. Hiroyuki Hagimoto is managing a budget of 5,870 million Yens (about 70 million dollars).
This is another major step to promote collaboration between Québec and Japan for the development of nanotechnology at both academic and industrial levels. In 2007, NanoQuébec signed an agreement with the Japanese organization NBCI (Nanotechnology Business Creation Initiative), the biggest industrial nanotechnology association in the world.
“The Nagano prefecture has many excellent researchers and companies working in areas of nanotechnology that are complementary to those we have in the Province of Québec. Signing of this agreement between NanoQuébec and the Nagano Techno Foundation is an important step in building a mutually beneficial relationship between our many members.” declared Dr. Crawhall.
Attending the signing ceremony, Ms Suzanne Ethier, Déléguée générale du Québec à Tokyo said that the development of nanotechnology is among the priorities in the field of science supported by the Quebec Government. Recognizing the leadership role played by Japan in this new field of knowledge, Ms Ethier welcomes the strong presence of Quebec to the Week of Nanotechnology in Japan which brings together a group of 24 researchers and representatives of Québec companies. Over the last three years, the Delegation du Québec à Tokyo worked closely with NanoQuébec and the signing of this second collaborative agreement demonstrates the vitality of the Quebec-Japan relations in this field.
This partnership is the result of many meetings between Nagano Techno Foundation and NanoQuébec is the last few years. NanoQuébec organized two missions to Japan in 2007 and 2008, surrounding nano tech, the biggest nanotechnology show in the world. Nagano Techno Foundation came many times in Québec as well. They participated last April in INNO 08 seminar co-organized by NanoQuébec where Professor Morinobu Endo from Shinshu University (Nagano) presented his work.