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The Australian Government is backing leading-edge nanotechnology. Combined with State and Territory Governments and private entities, up to A$100 million per annum is being invested for research and commercialisation purposes.
The Australian Government has also announced its plan for a National Nanotechnology Strategy. $21.5 million dollars over four years is being allocated to the national strategy which will draw together industry, researchers, the community and government to:
- Establish a nano-particle measuring capability at the National Measurement Institute.
- Address regulations and standards; and
- Provide balanced advice to the community on nanotechnology.
The National Nanotechnology Strategy will ensure that Australian researchers and business people have the support they need to overcome impediments to uptake and ensure public confidence in this emerging field.
Australia has a vibrant, capable and dynamic nanotechnology sector. Significant numbers of multinational corporations and foreign government agencies are investing in the development and commercialisation of breakthrough Australian nanotechnologies. Practical outcomes are being delivered in the manufacturing, raw materials and environmental sectors.
Australian nanotechnology expertise is broad, with niche expertise in Materials, Nano-Biotechnology and Medical Devices, Electronics and Photonics, Energy and Environment, and Quantum Technology.
Australia has a strong, well-resourced, multi-disciplinary research base active in nanotechnology, which is developing strong alliances, collaborative research and commercial relationships.
Australia is retaining and attracting outstanding, internationally recognised researchers who are supported by a high quality domestic science education base.
Australia’s nanotechnology networks are integrated through a range of formal and informal linkages for corporations and other organisations.
To learn more about Australia's nanotechnology industry, please see the list below:
Australia is contributing to the integration of electronic and optical technologies and the creation of new products with significant market potential through applications such as computing and communications systems, software, assembly, power delivery and micro-architecture (circuits).
Areas of Australian expertise include the development of new plasma sources for manufacturers of focused ion beams; compound semiconductor quantum dot-based lasers; infrared directors and integrated optical circuits; silicon-based photonics; and optical integration to increase the speed of computers.
Other technologies under development include light emitting diodes; fibre-optic applications; ultrahigh-bandwidth devices for optical systems; silica and polymer planar waveguides; optical fibre fabrication; thin film fabrication; and fibre Bragg gratings.
Australia enjoys a proud reputation for excellence in environmental sciences and research. The nation’s experience in natural resources industries, addressing water scarcity and working across diverse climatic conditions makes it the perfect place for investment in environmental nanotechnology.
The country undertakes advanced research across a wide range of energy-related and environmental nanotechnologies. Early commercial success has already been achieved in supercapacitors and solar energy research. Nanotechnology-based energy storage and fuel cell technologies are moving swiftly through the development and commercialisation pipeline.
Australia is also skilled in developing and commercialising environmental and water-treatment nanotechnologies. Research ranges from new forms of industrial absorbents to nano-engineered filters for waste water and chemical streams, bio-degradable “plastics” and energy-efficient building materials.
Strong government commitment and the establishment of a number of key nanotechnology industry and research networks are enhancing Australia’s position at the forefront of this fast-growing and strategic industrial and scientific capability.
Australia recognises that a multi-disciplinary skills base is essential to maintain its world-class nanoscience and nanotechnology. The country has research institutes, joint ventures, centres of excellence and research clusters that focus on applied research into nanotechnology applications across industries.
These facilities are closely linked and frequently collaborate on projects, enhancing interactions between researchers and providing avenues for bringing products to market. Australian networks and associations work to improve international links by supporting conferences, workshops, researcher training and tours by visiting lecturers.
Australia’s international linkages ensure all participants in the Australian nanotechnology field are well connected and communicating, to assist technology diffusion across industries.
Australian organisations are developing instrumentation and software solutions that assist nanotechnology research and development in Australia and overseas.
Examples include metrology devices for microelectronics and sensors; innovation in photonics manufacturing, research and prototyping facilities for companies wanting to take their development beyond proof-of-concept and into early-stage manufacturing; and software imaging enhancement solutions for visualisation, wavefront sensing and machine vision.
The activities of Australian companies and institutions are supported by national research infrastructure, including major national research facilities. These facilities are significant nodes of scientific instrumentation, information and expertise, and are a key reason why the country is a provider of nanotechnology instrumentation and software.
Australia’s strong capability in materials, particles and coatings nanotechnology is translating into a wide variety of product applications. These include extremely hard, antibacterial, antiviral and smooth coatings for industrial tools; enhanced paints and glass; prosthetics; membranes in energy production and storage and pollution control; and cosmetics and sunscreens.
Australian nano-materials and coatings technology is leading to a range of highly functional consumer products that offer fade, heat, water and stain resistance, biocompatibility and novel cosmetic and sun protection qualities. The textiles, coatings and cosmetics industries are already benefiting. World class nano-materials related research, coupled with government support and outstanding infrastructure, are just some of the reasons for investing in the development of innovative Australian products in this field.
Strong government commitment and the establishment of a number of key nanotechnology industry and research networks are enhancing Australia’s position at the forefront of this fast-growing and strategic industrial and scientific capability.
To view the Research Institutes in the materials subsector visit the Research Institutes Precinct Map on the Institutes and Clusters page.
Australia has a history of successes in biological and molecular sciences, positioning the country to make an impact in nanoscale biotechnologies.
Australian organisations are engaged in world-leading research into carbohydrate and protein chemistry for the development of new therapeutic treatments; advanced drug delivery systems using nanoscale particles; and the creation of biocompatible nano-engineered polymers for implants. Work in nanoscale bio-sensing is moving rapidly toward commercial success.
Australia has a well-deserved reputation for clinical research and the development and discovery of therapeutic agents. It is also taking a leading role in the development of many new fields of nano-biotechnology, including the creation of novel materials and devices for medical and diagnostic needs.
Australia is playing an important role in the international effort to make quantum computing a reality, with the country’s research institutes and universities undertaking significant work. One research group is working to build a small-qubit[1] device, which will form the fundamental building block of a scalable silicon-based quantum computer. Another is developing a fabrication blueprint for a large-scale solid-state quantum computer.
Australian researchers are also investigating areas related to quantum computing, such as linear optics – the use of single photons in optical fibres to encode quantum information.
Other research in this sector includes enabling technologies such as the transfer and storage of information for photonics; the precise quantum control of atoms for enhanced atom interferometry; and investigating the design, fabrication, characterisation and packaging of a range of planar optical waveguide devices.
[1] A quantum bit or qubit is analogous to a bit in classical computing, which exists in the states of 0 or 1. However, a qubit can also exist in both states simultaneously allowing for much greater data storage.
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