challenges and opportunities with bio and nanotech

Challenges And Opportunities With

Bio- & Nanotech

Tim HarperCientifica Ltd

Monday, 10 January 2011

Tim Harper

• Engineer at European Space Agency

• Serial Entrepreneur

• Co Founder NanoSight

• Chair / Chief Advisor of Several National Funding Bodies

• World Economic Forum Emerging Technologies Council / Tech Pioneers

2


Challenge 1Communicating Technology


The Challenge of

CommunicationA constant battle for the first ten

years of nanotech


The Challenge of Regulation


• After 10 years we have no sensible regulation of nanotechnologies

• Most technologies develop faster than regulators can catch up


Challenge IIMaking Technology Relevant


“Anyone talking about trillion dollar markets, thousands of start-ups and billions of dollars of VC money is missing the point of nanotechnology.

...most of the effects will not be called nano, and they will be off the radar of most nano pundits & gurus"

- Tim Harper 2003


• Banking crisis

• International tensions

• Failed States

• Facebook

•

•

•

•

• Emerging Technologies


• Banking crisis

• International tensions

• Failed States

• Facebook

•

•

•

•

• Emerging Technologies

Technology ranks low on the global agenda

Need to relate it to the issues that governments &

business understand


Challenge IIIProvide Solutions to Global Risks


Medium High Low


6,500,000

7,250,000

8,000,000

8,750,000

9,500,000

10,250,000

11,000,000

2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050

Global Population Growth

Medium High Low


0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

0

5,000

10,00

0

15,00

0

20,00

0

25,00

0

30,00

0

35,00

0

40,00

0

45,00

0

2007 2022

Population Pressure

GDP per capita (in 2000 USD)

World Average Income Per Capita

2007 Population Distribution

2007 Expenditure Per Capita


!Global trends in population, energy demand and water use. Population: United Nations (http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp2008/, accessed 7/27/10). Energy: International Energy Agency (http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/2009.asp, accessed 7/27/10). Water: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (http://www.oecd.org/document/20/0,3343,en_21571361_43893445_44353044_1_1_1_1,00.html, accessed 7/27/10).


http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp2008/

http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp2008/

http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/2009.asp

http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/2009.asp

http://www.oecd.org/document/20/0,3343,en_21571361_43893445_44353044_1_1_1_1,00.html




Leading To Events Like This15


The Impact of Technology

• The average lifetime of a company on the Fortune 500 is less than 30 years

• Google is ten years old

• Facebook is valued at $50 billion after five years!


Opportunity 1Catch The Wave of Emerging Technologies


5000 Years of Science

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• We have been observing the world for 5000 years

18




• Significantly changing it for 100 years

18




• Significantly changing it for 100 years

• Understanding our actions for 20 years

18


Control Over Materials

Materials Have Always Been Vital to Humanity

• Clothing,

• Heating, hunting tools

• Coal, iron, oil, copper

• Semiconductors

• Satellites

19


Materials Have Shaped Our Culture

10,000 BC

Stone & Wood

Nanotechnology

Adapted from Herrmann, W. Chem. Eng. Technol. 21(7), 549 (1998)

Synthetic Biology

0

Cement Steel

1800

Iron

1000 BC 1900’s

PolymersComposites

2000 2010

20


Science Enables New Technologies

1650 1950 2050

Com

plex

ity

21



1650 1950 2050Semiconductors

Com

plex

ity

21




Biotechnology

Com

plex

ity

21




Biotechnology

Nanotechnologies

Com

plex

ity

21




Biotechnology

Nanotechnologies

Synthetic Biology

Com

plex

ity

21




Biotechnology

Nanotechnologies

Synthetic Biology

Com

plex

ity

Geoengineering?

21




Biotechnology

Nanotechnologies

Synthetic Biology

Com

plex

ity

Geoengineering?

Con

trol

21


Moving From Control Of Materials to Control of

Things

22



Things

Materials

• Metals

• Semiconductors

• Food Processing

Passive22



Things

Materials

• Metals

• Semiconductors

• Food Processing

Things

• Crops

• Cells

• The Planet?

Passive Active22


10 Years of Nanotech

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Drug Delivery

Tissue EngineeringCatalysis

Filtration

Water Treatment

Computer Memory

Data Storage

DisplaysFood

Textiles

Cosmetics

Sunscreen

Lighting

Coatings

Household Cleaners Sporting Equipment

Construction

Insulation

Anti Corrosion

Paints

23



23


The Challenge for the Next 10 Years

• Make technology relevant to global issues

• Communicate that technology is (in general) something that improves our lives


Operating Theatre 1910Monday, 10 January 2011

Opportunity IILearn From Nature


How To Use Them?

28


Understanding Nature

29


A Top Down Approach

30


A Bottom Up Approach

31


By Copying This Trick

Reducing friction between container ships hull & water could

• Save 1% of global oil consumption or

• 850,000 barrels per day

32


An Old Trick For Textiles

33


Nanocomposite Materials

• Polymer + nanoparticle, nanofibre or clay

• Increases strength & rigidity

• Lowers weight

• Much of value is in the formulation rather than the filler

34


Nanocomposite Materials

• Polymer + nanoparticle, nanofibre or clay

• Increases strength & rigidity

• Lowers weight

• Much of value is in the formulation rather than the filler

Abalone Shell - Nanoscale Engineering34


Opportunity IIICombining Technologies


Synthetic Biology

Longest Published DNA Sequence

36Source: Rob Carlson synthesis.cc


A Lot Like Moore’s Law37


• Most technologies are becoming like Facebook

• What used to be done at Bell Labs or IBM can be done by far smaller teams

• Access to information and simulation are key drivers


Addressing the Challenge


Sustained technology innovation is the only way that the world has supported six billion people and will continue to sustain 9 billion people by 2050.

‣WEF Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies

Addressing the Challenge


The Challenge of Sustained Innovation


We cannot take emerging technologies for granted; great societies that failed to innovate have collapsed in the past.

The Challenge of Sustained Innovation


Risk management is not a passive process. The 21st century presents challenges in terms of population, energy, food, water, climate and health – a proactive technology-based approach is essential to be able to monitor, manage and mitigate these risks.

The Challenge of Proactive Risk Management


Governments, chemical companies, farmers, technology players, consumer product companies, NGOs, and consumers need to work together to realize the potential of a bio-based sustainable society.

The Challenge of Cooperation


In The End...

43


In The End...

• Technology has lead every economic and social advance for the last 10,000 years

43


In The End...


• It can create and clear up problems (e.g Ozone layer depletion)

43


In The End...


• It can create and clear up problems (e.g Ozone layer depletion)

• It is human nature to innovate

43


Conclusions

44


Conclusions

Nanotechnologies and biosciences will be as important to the 21st Century as oil, polymers and semiconductors were to the 20th Century

44


Conclusions

Nanotechnologies and biosciences will be as important to the 21st Century as oil, polymers and semiconductors were to the 20th Century

We have the tools, lets use them wisely

44


[email protected]: @tim_harper


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

challenges and opportunities with bio and nanotech

Technology

years of science

years of nanotech

years google

years signicantly

ve years

years old facebook

tim harper engineer

challenge of regulation