Companies and Research Institutes Involved in Nanotechnology in Ireland
CRANNExcitement abounds in the Trinity nanoscience world. Jonathan Coleman, Principal Investigator at the Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN), received a prestigious €1.5 million European Research Council starter grant. These grants are awarded to 300 top scientists across Europe: 10 percent of those who apply.
In addition, Trinity will launch a new undergraduate degree program in nanoscience entitled “Nanoscience – Physics and Chemistry of Advanced Materials”. The course will be run jointly by the Schools of Physics and Chemistry. It is similar to the old Physics and Chemistry of Advanced Materials course but with a more specific nanoscience focus in the Sophister years. Dr. Dónal A. Mac Dónaill, the course leader, told Trinity News that the course has been progressively evolving in this direction but that they are now “accelerating” that change. |
Nanonet
A new industry body consisting of all the stakeholders in Ireland’s €15bn nanotechnology industry has been formed to establish the sector as a vital component of the Irish economy. Organisations working with nanoscience from academia and industry have come together to form NanoNet, a single body designed to represent and promote awareness of nanoscience in Ireland and the contribution it makes to the Irish economy. Sean Dorgan, former CEO of the IDA, will chair the group.Ireland has more than 500 companies, both multinational and indigenous, employing about 130,000 people in the ICT, medical devices and biopharmaceutical sectors. These companies utilise nanotechnology for continued product innovation and competitiveness.Of €150bn in goods and services exported by Ireland in 2008, it is estimated 10pc were enabled by nanoscience and related nanotechnologies.By focusing on the area of nanotechnology there is the potential to grow this figure to 20pc, allowing Ireland to take a significant share of an estimated global market of €3trn in 2015.
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CCANCompetence Centre in Applied Nanotechnology facilitates interaction and collaboration among companies and research institutes by acting as a portal for industry to access the nanotechnology expertise already established in research institutes across Ireland. CCAN acts as an independent advisor so companies can access the most appropriate expertise regardless of institute. They are building a database of nanotechnology expertise available across Ireland for this purpose.
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Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork is one of Europe's leading research centres, specialising in ICT hardware research, with ca 420 staff, students and academic & industrial visiting researchers. Tyndall undertakes internationally-leading research into information and communications technology, including nanotechnology. Special emphasis is placed within the group on development of novel interdisciplinary methods for materials processing, device fabrication and integration. Examples include:
- “Bottom-up” chemical synthesis of inorganic nanostructures, e.g., silicon nanocrystals and gold nanorods.
- Controlled formation of nanostructure assemblies and networks via molecular recognition, e.g., for sensing of biological molecules.
- Electrochemical sensing at nanoscale electrodes
- Non-covalent functionalisation of graphene
- Directed assembly of bottom-up nanostructures at contact electrodes fabricated using conventional “top-down” technology for development of hybrid devices with novel electrical or opto-electronic properties.
Current State of Nanotechnology in Ireland
Current State of Nanotechnology in Ireland
In Ireland, the first indigenous start-ups to emerge from university based research groups have already attracted international venture capital. NTERA Ltd., founded in 1997, a spin-out from University College Dublin, has developed a next generation display called Nanochromics™ Displays (NCD)
Deerac Fluidics, whose roots are in Trinity College Dublin, has developed nanolitre-scale liquid handling technology that is being deployed in high-throughput screening systems in drug discovery research.
Elan is a pharmaceutical company based in Ireland that has been among the earliest adopters of nanotechnology in the sector. Its NanoCrystalTechnology is designed to improve the bioavailability of drugs and drug candidates that have poor solubility in water. Compounds are formulated as nanometer-sized particles, which are then delivered in tablet form, in capsules, via inhalation devices or via injection with the potential for substantial improvements to clinical performance. Elan has put in place manufacturing capacity for NanoCrystal-based products at its Irish site in Athlone.
Recognising the importance of Nanotechnology, the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (ICSTI) produced a Statement in order to assess current capabilities, to map out the specific areas of opportunity for the Irish economy and to work towards an agreed strategy for promoting the development and commercialisation of nanotechnology in Ireland. the atoms and molecules that comprise all matter to be imaged and manipulated. assembled and organised to yield nanodevices and nanosystems that possess new or -9 ICSTI recommend the following national definition of nanotechnology:[5]
“ Nanotechnology is a collective term for a set of tools and techniques that permit Using these tools and techniques it is possible to exploit the size-dependent properties of materials structured on the sub-100 nanometer scale, which may be improved properties. These tools and techniques, materials, devices and systems present companies in all sectors of the Irish economy with opportunities to enhance their competitiveness by developing new and improved products and processes.” [One nanometer (1 nm = 10m), to give an idea of scale, would be around 80,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.]
In Ireland, the first indigenous start-ups to emerge from university based research groups have already attracted international venture capital. NTERA Ltd., founded in 1997, a spin-out from University College Dublin, has developed a next generation display called Nanochromics™ Displays (NCD)
Deerac Fluidics, whose roots are in Trinity College Dublin, has developed nanolitre-scale liquid handling technology that is being deployed in high-throughput screening systems in drug discovery research.
Elan is a pharmaceutical company based in Ireland that has been among the earliest adopters of nanotechnology in the sector. Its NanoCrystalTechnology is designed to improve the bioavailability of drugs and drug candidates that have poor solubility in water. Compounds are formulated as nanometer-sized particles, which are then delivered in tablet form, in capsules, via inhalation devices or via injection with the potential for substantial improvements to clinical performance. Elan has put in place manufacturing capacity for NanoCrystal-based products at its Irish site in Athlone.
Recognising the importance of Nanotechnology, the Irish Council for Science, Technology and Innovation (ICSTI) produced a Statement in order to assess current capabilities, to map out the specific areas of opportunity for the Irish economy and to work towards an agreed strategy for promoting the development and commercialisation of nanotechnology in Ireland. the atoms and molecules that comprise all matter to be imaged and manipulated. assembled and organised to yield nanodevices and nanosystems that possess new or -9 ICSTI recommend the following national definition of nanotechnology:[5]
“ Nanotechnology is a collective term for a set of tools and techniques that permit Using these tools and techniques it is possible to exploit the size-dependent properties of materials structured on the sub-100 nanometer scale, which may be improved properties. These tools and techniques, materials, devices and systems present companies in all sectors of the Irish economy with opportunities to enhance their competitiveness by developing new and improved products and processes.” [One nanometer (1 nm = 10m), to give an idea of scale, would be around 80,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.]
Studying Nanotechnology in Ireland (Incl. Northern Ireland)
Degree Courses:
Degree courses in Ireland that contain Nanotechnology
Postgraduate Courses
Postgraduate Courses that Contain Nanotechnology
Sources: CAO and PostGrad Ireland. There may be more courses involving nanotechnology which have not been mentioned here.
- Science with Nanotechnology, Level 8, DIT.
Degree courses in Ireland that contain Nanotechnology
- Manufacturing and Design Engineering, Level 8, DIT.
- Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics, Level 8, UL.
Postgraduate Courses
- NanoBio Science, Degree - Masters (Level 9 NFQ), UCD.
- Nanotechnology, Degree - Masters, Postgraduate Diploma, University of Ulster - Jordanstown,
- Nanotechnology - Advanced Materials & Bioengineering - Research, Degree - Masters, Doctoral Degree, University of Ulster - Magee
- Nanostructured Media - Research, Degree - Masters, Doctoral Degree, Queen's University Belfast
Postgraduate Courses that Contain Nanotechnology
- Electronic Systems, Degree - Masters (Level 9 NFQ), Minor Certificate (Level 9 NFQ), Postgraduate Diploma (Level 9 NFQ), DCU
- Telecommunications Engineering, Degree - Masters (Level 9 NFQ), Minor Certificate (Level 9 NFQ),Postgraduate Diploma (Level 9 NFQ), DCU
- Medical Electronics, Degree - Masters, Postgraduate Diploma, University of Ulster
- Biomedical Engineering, Degree - Masters, Postgraduate Diploma, University of Ulster - Jordanstown,
- Electronic Engineering - Master Engineering Qualifier, DCU.
- Composites & Polymers - Advanced, Degree - Masters, Postgraduate Diploma, University of Ulster
- Research Opportunities at the College of Sciences & Health, Degree - Doctoral (Level 10 NFQ), Degree - Masters (Level 9 NFQ), Dublin Institute of Technology
- Physics - Research, Degree - Doctoral (Level 10 NFQ), Degree - Masters (Level 9 NFQ), TCD.
- Electronics - Individual Postgraduate Modules, Degree - Masters (Level 9 NFQ), Minor Certificate (Level 9 NFQ), Postgraduate Diploma (Level 9 NFQ), DCU
- Biomedical Sciences - Research, Degree - Masters, Doctoral Degree, (University of Ulster - Coleraine), University of Ulster
- International Foundation Programme - Pre Masters, DCU
- Engineering - Research, Degree - Doctoral (Level 10 NFQ), Degree - Masters (Level 9 NFQ), Trinity College Dublin
- International Foundation Programme - Pre Masters, DCU
- Electronic Systems - Pre Masters, Dublin City University
Sources: CAO and PostGrad Ireland. There may be more courses involving nanotechnology which have not been mentioned here.