A new national nanotechnology research centre to be located at the University of Alberta is expected to open new windows on the emerging science.
The National Institute of Nanotechnology should lead to new breakthroughs in health, energy, biotechnology and computer technology, say officials.
“With the creation of this institute, Canada will be poised to play a leading role in this exciting new technology — widely considered to rival the impact of the 19th-century Industrial Revolution,” said Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
The $120-million institute will be jointly funded by the federal and Alberta provincial governments, with each contributing $60 million over five years. The federal government says the project will become a key part of its National Research Council system.
Nanotechnology is the science of building materials and machines at a size that is 1/10,000 the width of a human hair.
Using this technology, scientists can control individual molecules and build machines and materials one atom at a time.
The institute will employ about 200 people and is expected to be one of the top five nanotechnology centres globally.
