July 2006 ISSUE
Quiet Everyone:
Nanotech Centre Opens on Campus
Now open: the quietest workplace in Canada. It’s the National Institute for Nanotechnology, and it’s ready to take on the smallest projects imaginable in a big way. Hundreds of Canada’s leading scientists and engineers gathered in Edmonton June 22 to celebrate the opening.
The University of Alberta-based research facility is the product of the National
Research Council, along with the other stakeholders who helped fund it. Ringing
in at $52.2 million, the 20,000-square-metre facility is designed to provide
the best conditions for nano-scale research — hence, the silence.
All vibrations, acoustical noise and electromagnetic interference are filtered
from the first floor.
emperature and humidity are also strictly controlled to maintain conditions for working with objects that may be as teeny as 1/80,000th the diameter of a human hair.
The technology is used for making everything from better sunscreens and smaller needles to the silver film inside snack bags that maintain peak freshness. It’s all about developing new materials and processes by manipulating molecular and atomic particles.
“Not only will this institute be home to some of the most innovative and pioneering research in the world, these facilities will contribute to improving Canada’s innovation performance,” said the Federal Industry Minister Maxime Bernier. “It will increase our nation’s ability to compete in the global marketplace, and I have no doubt that the research carried out here will touch the lives of all Canadians.”
The building will be shared by the National Research Council’s National Institute for Nanotechnology and the University of Alberta. It will include the NINT Innovation Centre, a research transfer facility where tenants working on commercializing nanotechnology will lease lab and office space.
Other specialized spaces include laboratories for chemical and biochemical synthesis, and analysis of material structure at the atomic scale, as well as a Class 1000 clean room for the production of nano-structured systems. The facility will house more than $40 million of the latest generation of scientific equipment, including electron and scanning probe microscopes, and chemical and material analysis instruments.
NINT itself will occupy five floors. The top two floors will be used by the University of Alberta for nanotechnology-related research.
“Alberta is proud to be a partner in the National Institute of Nanotechnology,” said the Hon. Victor Doerksen, Alberta Minister of Innovation and Science. “The expertise and knowledge that are being developed in this facility will lead to breakthroughs in agriculture, forestry, energy, health and the environment, generating new businesses and skilled jobs and providing tremendous benefits to Albertans and Canadians.”
The cost for the NINT portion of the building was $52.2 million. The Government of Alberta provided $40 million. The remainder came from the Government of Canada through the National Research Council, Western Economic Diversification Canada and Natural Resources Canada.
“NRC strives for the kind of research environment that leads to impact and value for Canada — technology commercialization, the creation of spin-off companies and other new enterprises. One of our goals is to contribute to the development and growth of a strong, vibrant nanotechnology cluster and ultimately, to the Canadian economy,” said Dr. Pierre Coulombe, P.Eng., president of the National Research Council.
Canada’s flagship nanotechnology institute has created a unique multidisciplinary environment. It integrates National Research Council and the University of Alberta researchers from numerous disciplines. Established in 2001, NINT is a joint initiative of the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the NRC and the University of Alberta.
“We are delighted to be part of this bold and innovative research partnership model, harnessing the combined potential of government and universities in an area of great significant and promise for Canada and indeed the world,” said University of Alberta President Indira Samarasekera. “We are proud to have this outstanding facility, and the wonderful research and teaching environment it creates, housed in Edmonton at the University of Alberta.”