Lux Research Report Charts Shifts in Competitiveness as
Winners and Losers Emerge in Nanotechnology
NEW YORK, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Since then-President Bill Clinton
launched the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative in 2000, nations have
invested heavily in nanotechnology in the hopes of increasing GDP, attracting
investment, and creating high-paying jobs. Nations challenged to secure energy
independence, provide clean water, reduce pollution, and augment war-fighting
forces also see potential solutions in nanotech. So which nations are winning
the nanotechnology race? The U.S., Japan, South Korea, and Germany dominate
today -- but Taiwan and China will challenge them for leadership in the next
seven years, according to a report from Lux Research entitled "Ranking the
Nations: Nanotech's Shifting Global Leaders."
For this report, Lux Research assessed 14 countries spanning four
continents with a rigorous, quantitative methodology driven by exhaustive
secondary research, primary interviews with government and business executives
in each country, and on-site visits in countries including the U.S., Japan,
Taiwan, China, the U.K., and Germany. Each nation was measured on 17 metrics
across two axes. The first axis, nanotechnology activity - including metrics
like national nanotech funding, government and university nanotech centers,
and corporate nanotech R&D spending - measures the raw material that
researchers and businesses in a country have to work with in commercializing
nanotechnology. The second axis, technology development strength - including
metrics like high-tech manufacturing as percent of GDP, R&D spending as
percent of GDP, and size of the technology and science workforce - measures
the country's demonstrated ability to develop its economy through science and
technology in general.
The report finds that:
-- Four countries rank as "Dominant," scoring high on both nanotechnology
activity and technology development strength: The U.S., Japan, South
Korea, and Germany.
-- Three countries - all technology powerhouses with relatively small
populations - rank as "Niche Players." They score low on
nanotechnology activity on an absolute basis, but high on the
technology development strength needed to convert that activity into
jobs and GDP. These countries are Taiwan, Israel, and Singapore.
-- Two countries come out as "Ivory Tower" nations, high on
nanotechnology activity but low on technology development strength in
relative terms: The U.K. and France.
-- Five nations are in nanotechnology's "Minor League" today, scoring low
on both axes: China, Canada, Australia, Russia, and India.
The report emphasizes that countries' competitive positions in
nanotechnology are changing rapidly, and forecasts how their rankings will
change over the next seven years. The report predicts that Taiwan will leap
into a dominant role on the basis of its large nanotech spending, extremely
well-coordinated nanotech initiatives through its Industrial Technology
Research Institute, and ability to ramp up commercialization by tapping
mainland Chinese labor and facilities. China will approach Dominant status -
the country has moved from fifth place to second in nanotechnology
publications over the last ten years while the shares of publications in Japan
and Germany dropped, and China spends more government money on nanotech
research at purchasing-power parity than any other country except the U.S.
Without significant strategy swings, some Western nations' positions today
will erode: France and the UK risk sliding into stagnation, with little
commercial output to show for their groundbreaking academic work.
The report emphasizes that, in a globalized economy, commercial horsepower
is just as important as invention and discovery. "Many countries are investing
millions or billions in primary research into nanotechnology," said Lux
Research Senior Analyst David Lackner. "But the true winners - who reap the
rewards of those huge investments - will be the ones that discover how to
incorporate nanotechnology breakthroughs into new manufacturing techniques,
medical treatments, and finished products."
The report contains individual assessments of each country's position and
drills down in detail on each criterion in the framework. The forecast of
nations' competitive positions through 2012 also identifies which sectors each
nation currently excels in with regard to nanotechnology (manufacturing and
materials, electronics and IT, and healthcare and life sciences) as well as
its position with regard to the four "ecosystem roles" required to bring
nanotech innovations to market (funder, innovator, manufacturer, and
marketer). The report is available immediately to clients of Lux Research's
Nanotechnology Strategies advisory service. For more information on how to
become a client, contact Nick Katsoulis at +1 (212) 644-9563.
About Lux Research:
Lux Research is the world's leading nanotechnology research and advisory
firm. We help our clients make better decisions to profit from nanoscale
science and technology, tapping into our analysts' unique expertise and
unrivaled network. Our clients include top decision makers at large
corporations, portfolio managers and analysts at leading financial
institutions, CEOs of the most innovative start-ups, and visionary public
policy makers. To get connected and for more information, visit
http://www.luxresearchinc.com.
SOURCE Lux Research
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CONTACT:
Peter Hebert of Lux Research, Inc.,
+1-646-723-0702, or peter.hebert@luxresearchinc.com
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