UT-institute MESA+ can expect to receive a substantial part of the 23 million euro that the ministry of economic affairs (EZ) has granted the NanoImpuls-programme in which eight knowledge institutes collaborate in the field of nanotechnology.
General director of Mesa+ professor David Reinhoudt, also head of NanoImpuls, describes the budget made available by EZ over a period of four years, 'a massive investment in innovation. The Netherlands belongs in a number of areas in nanotechnology to the world top, as demonstrated in several independent evaluations. The ministry realises this and considers the UT, in this case Mesa+ as best practice in the area of high-tech, utilisation and spin-off options. This takes courage, because it concerns a reasonably long-term project.
'The UT can also see this as recognition of the quality of its institute, acquired because of an investment of over 32 million guilders from '99 in five central programmes of the institute.' EZ has appointed Mesa+ as contract partner and Reinhoudt as programme co-ordinator. But although the successful UT-institute can be considered an important partner, 'we closely collaborate with other members of the consortium'. These are groups from the universities of Amsterdam, Delft, Eindhoven, Groningen, and Wageningen and companies like DSM, Philips, Unilever, ASM International, ASML, and Avantium.
The 23 million euro collected will not be divided equally among the partners, but according to Reinhoudt by individual strength. 'Mesa+ gets a substantial part - 40 percent - but that is not for nothing. We have been able to work on our infrastructure for years. That is an absolute precondition to acquire projects. The people within the institute are the ones who fight for their chances in programmes.' Sixty percent of the 23 million is earmarked for personnel. That can be converted to forty PhD-places. Mesa+ will receive according to Reinhoudt approximately twelve, and will be able to invest heavily into equipment, for example to upgrade the cleanroom.
Nanotechnology concerns research into individual structures of less than one-hundred nanometer to molecular level, with the intention of building complex molecular structures with completely new physical, chemical and biological properties. According to Reinhoudt it is the most fundamental form of production technology. 'In the coming twenty-five years an enormous market will develop for products made largely with nanotechnology. This market will be, we think, larger than the one for ICT products now. This is an important signal from EZ that the Netherlands is aware of the large social importance of nanotechnology.'
In two weeks' time Reinhoudt will be submitting a subsidy request for an even larger project than NanoImpuls, which only includes four selected programmes. In February an application will be sent off for all 11 NanoNed programmes. NanoNed can be considered the umbrella under which all Dutch nanotechnology research is conducted. Reinhoudt considers the recognition of NanoImpuls as an enormous boost for the Netherlands as a knowledge country. It seems logical to him that the cabinet will also greenlight the sequel: the total nano-package.
