Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am honoured to be with you here today. It is a great pleasure for me to open today’s conference on nanotechnology organised by the Research Council of Norway.

The purpose of this conference is, from what I understand, to illuminate the significance of nanotechnology on technology development and innovation in different industries. I have been informed that in addition to various stakeholders in this field, several internationally renowned researchers will contribute here during this conference including the Nobel Laureate Sir Harry Kroto. So, I believe this conference could stimulate interest for this exciting field of research in Norway.

I would like to put the significance of research and innovation into

perspective by focusing on the challenges Norway is facing today. I believe that some of these challenges are shared by many other developed nations. Currently, Norway is ranked as one of the wealthiest countries in the world, with an excellent standard of living. In the years to come, we will face a substantial increase in old age and disability pensions. At the same time, we expect a reduction in government net cash flow from petroleum activities. We also know that Norwegian companies at present display lower levels of innovation than firms in many other countries in Europe. Increasing value creation is therefore a main priority for the Government in order to secure continued prosperity and welfare for future generations. To achieve this, we need to develop a more dynamic and innovative economy.

The Norwegian economy is strongly integrated with the rest of Europe through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). We share challenges with the rest of Europe, and seek to be in the forefront in the ongoing transition to a knowledge-based European economy.

The Norwegian Government has recently taken decisive steps towards designing and implementing an ambitious reform agenda in support of innovation. In the Governments plan for a comprehensive innovation policy the vision that Norway shall be one of the most innovative countries in the world is presented. The innovation plan is only a first step in a long-term effort towards increased innovation within all sectors and regions of Norway. To follow up our innovation plan, an Innovation Panel at ministerial level consisting of nine ministers has been established and is led the Minister of Trade and Industry. The Norwegian Government is putting innovation firmly on the political agenda in Norway and will pursue it eagerly in the weeks, months and years to come.

Our future welfare depends on our ability to create and use new knowledge. This applies to economic performance, as well as to fundamental goals such as health and a sound environment. Given this, education and research need to be key priorities in the national policies. Research and development is perhaps the most important input to innovation.

Historically, a significant proportion of growth in Norway has been based on raw materials. However, the exploitation of these raw materials has required the development of cutting-edge technologies. Our petroleum-, shipping-, aquaculture- and fishing technology are among the best in the world. This has helped in making Norway a technology-driven society on a broad basis.

Materials production has always been, and still is essential to Norwegian economy. This industry is internationally competitive as a result of the industrial focus on knowledge-based products and production. Nano-technology and new materials has been singled out as one of the most important scientific areas with a huge industrial potential in the future. Japan, USA and Europe all invest heavily in this area. New technologies are, of course, of interest to us as well. Together with ICT and functional genomics, nano-technology and new materials have been singled out as priority areas in the Norwegian R&D-policy. We see materials technology, among others, as instrumental in promoting tomorrow’s industry.

I have learnt that nanotechnology refers to a range of new technologies aiming to manipulate individual atoms and molecules in order to create new products and processes, for instance structures that are built from bottom up, atom-by-atom.

The fascinating thing is that radically different laws of physics come into play when dealing with matter at the nanometric scale. The characteristics of materials change substantially, in particular their strength, conductivity and reactivity. For instance, a material that is flexible at the meter scale may be stronger than steel at the nano-scale. The challenge for nanoscientists is thus to exploit the new properties of matter at the nanolevel.

The nanotechnology revolution began in the early 1980s as scientists invented tools that made them able to both visualize atoms and manipulate them. The invention of these advanced microscopy techniques represented a major technological leap forward that made the concept of ‘nanotechnology’ possible.

At the same time, breakthroughs in life sciences have made it possible for scientists to understand how nature itself creates nanoscale structures such as bone, proteins, and the internal mechanisms of living cells. The similarities in materials technology, ICT and biotechnology have today made researchers talk about the concept of converging technologies. However, converging technologies in practice probably lies further ahead in time. On the other hand, interdisciplinary R&D is a major driver in virtually all of the most promising areas of nanoscale development.

In recent years we have seen nanotechnology become a priority in science and technology policy in many countries, as well as a new target for R&D efforts. According to OECD more than 30 countries have launched public R&D initiatives in this field. The major economies have undertaken broad R&D initiatives while smaller countries tend to specialize their R&D efforts in more limited areas.

At the moment, many of the emerging nanoscale technologies are still at an experimental level. The interest in nano-science and technology stems, however, from its potentially wide range of applications and economic benefits. It is believed that nanotechnology in the future may affect nearly all economic and industrial sectors in one way or another.

The prevailing opinion is that nanoscale technologies primarily will have an impact on existing industries and applications. This means that nanoscale technologies will make existing products and materials better, rather than bring about brand new commodities. Nanoscale technology will contribute to improving and controlling products and processes, in electronics as well as for instance in biotechnology, medicine and chemistry. Some of us have heard about “smart” textiles, where nanotechnology is used to manipulate and improve the qualities of clothing. The significance and potential range of these technologies are not yet apparent to the general public nor, perhaps, to the scientists. Such a revolutionary development also brings about a whole range of ethical questions that need to be considered.

Science only becomes “useful” when it is embodied in goods or services. It is therefore important to try to strengthen the role of the science system in innovation by improving the interaction between science and industry. This should also be a goal in nano-science research.

Relevant initiatives to stimulate interaction and innovation include establishment of centres of excellence, co-operative R&D centres, technology incubators and science parks, and stimulation of technology-based firms, technological diffusion, and public-private partnerships.

To facilitate innovation, it is also important to stimulate venture capital markets, especially funding in early phases of commercialisation where the need for seed money is significant.

The Norwegian government puts great emphasis on international co-operation in R&D. In the research area, we fully participate in the European multilateral framework programmes for research and technological development. Our multilateral engagement should not, however, be an impediment to bilateral co-operation. When excellence is a goal, business and industry, institutions and research groups will search for the best international partners, regardless of geography. In such a perspective, we should also focus on the possibilities for increased bilateral co-operation.

In this research field Norway has a lot to learn, but I am convinced that we also have something to offer. Although Norway is smaller in terms of research volume, we do have some excellent research groups within selected areas of this field of science. I believe researchers would benefit from co-operation in this research field. The practical challenge is to explore new opportunities and identify areas where mutual interests exist.

Let me conclude by wishing you continued success. It is my firm belief that today’s conference will contribute positively in this respect – and will hopefully be beneficial to all parties involved.

I wish you all the best in your future work. Thank you for your attention.