Bridging gap from lab to market subject of nanotechnology conference

"Small Scale--Big Business" is being sponsored by the Initiative for Nanotechnology in Virginia (INanoVA), a consortium of researchers and research administrators at Virginia Tech, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Old Dominion University who are working with Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology (CIT).

"Nanotechnology" refers to the ability to work at the submolecular and molecular level to create materials with new properties, such as films a few atoms thick that can be used in electronics, communications, and medicine. There are already companies in Virginia that are using nanostructures to produce diagnostic materials. The technology also offers safer, less costly, and more controlled processing of materials.

"There have been a number of conferences where scientists share information," notes Bob Porter, program development manager in the research division at Virginia Tech. "It is time now to meet with members of the business community to explore 'the next scientific/industrial revolution'."

The conference will feature nationally known researchers, nanotech entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, patent and intellectual property attorneys, and business development specialists, who will discuss the emergence of nanotechnology products and markets, technology transfer, finding funding for nanotechnology R&D, and surviving the market boom and bust cycles.

The keynote speaker will be Charles Ostman of the Institute for Global Futures Inc., whose address will be "Investment Opportunities in Nanotechnology - Strategic Imperatives, Emergent Trend."

Gregory Olsen, CEO of Sensors Unlimited Inc. will also be a featured speaker, addressing "How to Start Businesses Using SBIR Funding."

People who have been there and done that will form a panel to discuss "Building a Nano-business -- Bridging the Gap between Laboratory and Marketplace."

The CIT is located at 2214 Rock Hill Rd in Herndon. For registration and exhibit information, contact Nanette Justus at the CIT, 703-689-3072 or nanette@cit.org. Detailed program information and directions for online registration can be found at the INanoVA web site: www.inanova.org/symposium.htm.