Nanotechnology Research - Initiatives and Networks in

The aim of the proposed Japanese-German Research Unit 'Advanced spintronic materials and transport phenomena' (ASPIMATT) is to develop the foundations for a future spintronics with the potential to complement and succeed conventional CMOS. The specific approach lies on the development and characterization of new spintronic materials for applications at room temperature and on the study of new spin transport phenomena, in particular lateral spin current phenomena.

CeNTech was created as one of Germany's first centers for nanotechnology. Integrated into the densest network of universities in all over Europe in the German state of North Rhine-Westfalia (NRW), CeNTech provides the ideal environment to direct selected ideas and results of nanotechnological research into technical applications.

The mission of CeNS is to promote, coordinate, and bundle interdisciplinary research in the field of nanoscience. CeNS consolidates research activities at the nanometer scale from the areas of physics, biophysics, chemistry, biochemistry, and medicine. The network promotes the mutual understanding and collaboration between researchers from these different disciplines by joint seminars, workshops, and schools which are organized by CeNS.

A high-competence materials engineering cluster and R&D service provider.

The initiative's expertise is to connect nanotechnology competences from different sectors, in particular science, politics and education. With a focus on small and medium-sized companies they primarily support networking among SMEs, but also include universities, colleges and research institutes. They support the efficient transfer of R&D&I results into marketable products and promote cooperation activities between the different stakeholders.

(Site in German) The Center of Competence in Nano-Scale Analysis is a nationwide network created to link core competences in the fields of particle and surface analysis in order to develop improved mechanisms for transferring basic research into products, manufacturing processes and services.

The materials investigated include metals, amorphous and crystalline alloys, semiconductors, oxide, nitride and carbide ceramics in the form of clusters, thin films, multilayers and bulk nanocrystalline materials. All synthesis techniques are based on vapor phase processes such as Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and DC- and RF- Magnetron Sputtering for thin films and multilayers and Chemical Vapor Synthesis (CVS) and Inert Gas Condensation (IGC) for clusters and nanocrystalline materials.

The Bavarian research cooperation for miniaturised analysis techniques using nanotechnology.

Nearly one third of the currently 58 Institutes of the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft is working in the field of nanotechnology

Initiated and coordinated by BAuA, UBA (Federal Environment Agency), BfR (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) and BAuA have developed a joint research strategy, that addresses especially health and environmental risks of engineered nanoparticles. The draft proposes 25 different projects on nanotechnology.