Nanotechnology and the Renewal of Finnish Industries NANOREF Research project by ETLA

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Nanotechnology and the Renewal of Finnish
Industries (NANOREF) Research project by ETLA

• Christopher Palmberg,
• Tuomo Nikulainen Terttu Luukkonen
• ETLA (The Research Institute
• of the Finnish Economy)

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A macroframework can nano evolve into a General
Purpose Technology?

• Large scope for improvement?
• Value of technology increases when costs of its
  operation in existing uses falls
• ?Yes, but how quickly (e.g. bottom-up
  nanoproduction in industrial scale)
• Wide variety of uses?
• Initially a few but gradually increasing number
  of applications
• ? Yes, but there are obstacles (standards, fixed
  investments, etc.)
• Wide range of use?
• High proportion of productive activities in an
  economy uses the technology
• ? Yes, but there are obstacles (prices, image,
  ethical questions, etc.)
• Generates/requires complemantary innovations
  (innovational complementaries)?
• Complementary technologies, innovations,
  organizational mode and new practices
• ? Not yet(!?)

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Facts of Finnish nanotechnology

• Public initiatives FinNano ST programs (TEKES
  and Academy of Finland) and 13 prior related ST
  programs
• Public nanofunding in Finland 2000-2009, millions
  of euros
• 2195 publications 1980-2006 (1436 authors)
• 81 patent families 1974-2006 (266 inventors
  97 Finnish!)
• Patent applications EPO 39, USPTO 57, JPO 20
• Patent grants EPO 11, USPTO 30, JPO10

Based on definition of nano by FhG-ISI
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Relevance and background

• RD-oriented strategy of Finland at a cross-road?
• Unique development of ICT in 1990s, What
  follows after Nokia?
• Productivity on traditional industries at maximum
  price competition starting to dominate over
  innovation
• New high-skill low-cost competition due to
  globalisation the position of Finland in the
  future?
• Finnish possibilities in nanotechnology?
• A General Purpose Technology of the 21th century?
  compare with the application of ICT in Finland
• Develops on top of existing technologies and
  industries where Finland has many strongholds
  (forest, ICT, engineering, health-care)
• Nano could be market- and application-oriented
  flexible adaptation strategy to compensate for
  scale disadvantages in nanosciences

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Coverage and timetable
Research focus
Commercialisation
Subproject 3 01-06 2007
Subproject 2 07-12 2006
Technology development
Subproject 1 01-06 2006
Research
Level of analysis
Firms/clusters
Country/policy
Researchers/inventors
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Research focus

• Subproject 1 Finnish knowledge base in nano
• Mapping of nano knowledge base, commercialization
  of nano through entreprenuership modes,
  opportunities, and bottlenecks
• Patent/publication analysis, interviews, survey
  of whole population of nano-researchers and
  -inventors
• Subproject 2 Application and commercialisation
  of nano
• Commerzialization of nano through existing firms
  and industries, emerging industrial organisation
  and value chains
• Case studies, survey to key Finnish firms
  throughout industrial clusters
• Subproject 3 Nanotechnology and innovation
  policy
• Specificities of nanotechnology with respect to
  innovation policy
• Comparison to Finnish ICT and biotech, country
  comparisons (?)

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Finnish nano-regions, related institutions and
companies
Finland
Oulu University, 1 company
Jyväskylä University, Nanoscience Center, 15
companies
Joensuu University, 1 company
Tampere University, 8 companies
Helsinki region 2 universities, VTT, 34
companies
Turku University
Technical Research Center of Finland
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Emerging application areas for Finnish nano
(patent applications)
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Designated markets for Finnish nano (granted
patents)
(n77)
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Contact

• Christopher Palmberg, ETLA
• christopher.palmberg_at_etla.fi
• Tuomo Nikulainen, ETLA/HSE (Helsinki School of
  Economics)
• tuomo.nikulainen_at_hse.fi
• Terttu Luukkonen, ETLA
• terttu.luukkonen_at_etla.fi