Walking The Commercialization Pathway

摘要

Academic and research institutions worldwide continue to receive significant government funding to support micro and nanotechnology development. This funding has resulted in these institutions being able to build a micro and nanotechnology knowledge and intellectual property base. In many instances, micro and nano-based product concepts have been developed; however, not many products have been commercialized. It is now generally recognized that the conventional infrastructure of the educational system and of manufacturing is not supportive of microanosystems-based product commercialization. The infrastructure that is needed begins with the integration of micro and nanotechnology principles into the science, engineering, and business curricula of universities. Developing this skill set, particularly for engineers, is important for engineers to be proficient at designing products at the micro and nanoscale. Companies must be able to prototype design concepts and to provide a pathway to commercialization. A packaging/micromanufacturing infrastructure is critical. The cost in time and financial resources to build the facilities and to provide the trained personnel and the equipment is beyond the reach of both small and large companies. Infrastructural changes needed in academia, industry, and government, and their roles must be coordinated to develop a commercialization pathway to realize the benefits of microano-based products.