Nanotechnology and Idaho

This morning I listened to the webcast, Nanotechnology: Will It Drive a New Innovation Economy for the U.S.?, presented at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

On pages 21 & 22 of the slide presentation they showed two sets of graphics: “New nanotechnology-based firms in the US (NNBFs)” & “Emerging US Nanodistricts,” respectively.  While Idaho shows up on the former, as of now, there are no areas within the state that qualify as “nanodistricts” – at least by the author’s definition.

These slides reminded me of the Innovation Business Directory published by the Idaho Department of Commerce.  According to the latest version (Oct. 2008), there are 15 companies and 4 universities & research institutes that perform nanotechnology-related work within the state.  While this is a good start, I’m hopeful that Idaho will be able to incubate and continue to grow its nanotechnology industry in the upcoming years.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve had an interest – personally and professionally – in nanotechnology for several years.  With respect to the latter, as a human factors and ergonomics professional, I look forward to working with local companies by applying knowledge from the emerging field of nanoergonomics to assist with developing potential new technologies that enhance safety, human performance, and satisfaction.