Nano awareness

The Gateshead-based Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (

) recently launched the HiPerNano Sector Focus Group to raise awareness and promote developments in nanomaterials for the high-performance engineering industry.

Nanomaterials are beginning to have a major commercial impact and the NanoKTN is building a UK community where aerospace, defence, security, power-generation and automotive industries can discuss the benefits of nanomaterials for components that are subjected to extreme environments.

At the recent launch of the HiPerNano group, an audience of more than 130 engineers, scientists and intermediaries heard how the new generation of high-performance nano-enhanced materials can solve problems caused by extreme environments.

‘Our aim is to enable the high-performance engineering industry to realise the commercial potential and advantages of introducing nanomaterials that were, until just a few years ago, laboratory curiosities,’ said Dr Martin Kemp, theme manager at NanoKTN.

‘To get nanomaterials into the market place we need to create new kinds of supply chains and these have to be generated by market pull, hence the decision to create the HiPerNano Sector Focus Group whereby end-users can pose their commercial challenges and hear the latest success stories from their peers,’ he added.

The industry-driven steering group of HiPerNano had its inaugural meeting last month, hosted by Airbus UK in Filton. Targets were set for developing a strategy and action plan, and the key objective was identified as stimulating the supply chain in the

.