By
Roland
Hengerer and Martin Illsley
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PDF Help Although it has long been considered a criticism to accuse
someone of being "small-minded," in fact, that approach best describes a
burgeoning opportunity today for technology-related businesses. And when we say
small, we mean small. This is the field of nanotechnology,
which has the potential to cause a revolutionary impact on products and
manufacturing processes.
Nanotechnology refers to the creation and use of materials,
devices and systems through controlling matter at a scale so miniscule it is
measured by a nanometer, which can measure objects as small as one-millionth of
a millimeter, about the size of a small molecule. So how big is nanotechnology
from a business perspective? A report published by the United Kingdom's
Department of Trade and Industry states, "Any industry that fails to
investigate the potential of nanotechnology, and to put in place its own
strategy for dealing with it, is putting its business at risk."
¹ What are researchers learning to do at this scale—a scale
at which they can actually manipulate single atoms? And why should business
executives care? To give just a sense of the possibilities, scientists and
engineers are experimenting with ways to "nanostructure" matter in such a way
as to create industrial materials that are 100 times stronger than steel but
just one-sixth its weight. Or consider the possible benefits of
submicromechanical devices about the size of a virus that might probe and
deliver medicine to individual cells.
Researchers at Accenture Technology Labs are closely
following nanotech developments to identify potential business opportunities
and disruptions. At Accenture, we believe that it has become increasingly
difficult for forward-thinking executives to separate fact from fantasy in this
exciting field, and we are evaluating the most likely nanotechnology path.
Whatever kind of services your company sells or products it makes, your
business will be touched soon by nanotechnology innovations. Maybe it already
has.
Opportunity and Innovation at the Convergence of
Disciplines The very term nanotechnology has come
to be applied to just about anything that has to do with microscopic
applications of technology. But size alone, though important, does not
adequately describe the distinctive opportunities of nanotechnology. It is not
merely about shrinking existing technologies and designs. In fact, scaling laws
often require a complete redesign when changing the size of something. For
example, the design that makes an albatross fly is nothing like the design that
makes a bumblebee fly.
So what does nanotechnology do? Where
is its value? The business opportunities of nanotechnology are most likely
rooted in a merger of life sciences, physical sciences and computer sciences.
In other words, it is where biotechnology, engineering and information
technology come together, combining biological principles with the designs and
materials of modern engineering. Accenture believes that this overlap has
created a common pool of innovation—such as the integration between materials
and information technology—that already represents opportunity for some
companies, and a threat or challenge to others.
Accenture Technology Labs researchers are looking at three
categories of nanotechnology applications.
- Nanosystems. These small systems can be
seen as an extension of biotechnology. For example, to create a molecular motor
about the size of a virus, scientists have combined genetically engineered
proteins with other chemically structured components. Researchers have even
assembled a whole molecular transport system based on biomolecules. One day
such devices will have powerful applications in medicine and many other
industries.
- Nanomaterials. It is possible to create
new kinds of materials by working at the nanolevel. One of the first
nanomaterials was the "carbon nanotube," which conducts electricity better than
copper yet is stronger and lighter than steel. Other nanomaterials show the
possibility to precisely hand-tailor and control specific material parameters.
Moreover, some of these nanomaterials behave in a way that we can refer to them
as "smart materials," which includes self-healing polymers and other materials
with the ability to react to changing conditions.
- Nano-electronics. Standard computer
chips, which soon will have minimum feature sizes below 100 nanometers, will
inevitably enter the realm of nanotechnology. The next generation of
electronics may be based on molecular or maybe even DNA computing, in which the
biological and the physical technologies truly merge into something
new.
Industry Applications of Nanotechnology
The primary opportunities in nanotechnology may arise in
these industries.
- Medicine. The pharmaceutical and
medical industry could be revolutionized by developments in nanotechnology. For
example, instead of flushing the whole body with an ingested chemical,
nano-engineered agents in pill form may be able to deliver drugs much more
effectively and selectively to target cells. Implants might also become much
more refined with the use of nanomaterials adapted to the body's tissue on a
molecular scale.
- Manufacturing. Nanostructured materials
like super strong nanocomposites or self-cleaning nanocoatings already are big
business. Such materials may become increasingly "smart" in the future;
possibly even adapting to changing environments the way living tissue can.
These adaptable materials could enhance product performance and even, given the
potential to control the changes remotely, alter the very nature of service for
industries employing nanostructured materials.
- Computing. Completely new computing
structures like molecular logic gates may lead to another quantum leap in
computing power. These technologies could replace—at least in
part—silicon-based computers, and help to give intelligence to everyday items.
In addition, the human interface to computers could merge with the environment
with the help of smart materials.
- Energy. Nanotechnology could lead to
the creation of new power devices, as shown by the progress in such fields as
artificial photosynthesis and "parasitic" power devices. Existing technologies
like batteries and fuel cells could also profit from advances in
nanotechnology. Even more noteworthy, though, is the potential for energy
savings made possible by eliminating the power inefficiencies of today's
devices, which are inefficiencies that occur at the nanolevel. In the future,
ultra-low-power devices might have no power switch at all—they would be "always
on."
Onward to the Unforeseen and the
Unseen Many of the materials, inventions and businesses that will
be created by nanotechnology are things not even dreamed of today. One thing is
certain, however: large amounts of money are already being invested in
nanotechnologies and their business applications.
In the United States, the government budget request for
nanotech research for fiscal year 2003 is more than $700 million. The European
Commission has allocated $1.3 billion on nanotechnology research over the next
four years.¹ Clearly, substantial business opportunities
may emerge as a result of major investments by government, high-tech companies
and venture capitalists. The National Science Foundation predicts that the
total worldwide market for products and applications incorporating
nanotechnology will reach $1 trillion by 2015.² 
Life and its marvels can be understood as a series of
interactions in a dimension too small to be seen with the naked eye. But now
that researchers increasingly are able to manipulate the world at this scale,
there may be revolutionary developments that though they cannot be seen, must
be watched.
Accenture Technology Labs, the technology research and development organization
within Accenture, explores new and emerging technologies and collaborates with
clients to turn technology innovation into business results. The Labs are
located in Chicago, Illinois; Palo Alto, California; and Sophia Antipolis,
France.
Roland
Hengerer, researcher-Accenture Technology Labs, is
based in Sophia Antipolis, France. He is a physicist with a Ph.D in chemistry
and his research interests focus on nanotechnology, smart materials and quantum
computing.
Martin
Illsley, director of research-Accenture Technology Labs, is
based in Sophia Antipolis, France. He has a Ph.D in computer science.
For more information, please contact us.
If you found this article to be of interest, you may also
be interested in Help Wanted:
Chief Quantum Officer? What the Increasing Mix of Science and Technology Means to Business by Martin Illsley.
¹ Department of Trade and
Industry, "New Dimensions for Manufacturing: A UK Strategy for Nanotechnology,"
June 2002
² National Science
Foundation, "Societal Implications of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology," March
2001
The views and opinions expressed in
this article are meant to stimulate thought and discussion. As each business
has unique requirements and objectives, these ideas should not be viewed as
professional advice with respect to your business.  To Top
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