Jul 2 2013
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Image Credits: MAGNIFIER/shutterstock.com
Iceland is an island country located northwest of the United Kingdom in Northern Europe. It covers an area of 103,000 km2 and in 2018/19 had a population of 332, 529.
Iceland’s economy is a good mix of a capitalist structure coupled with free-market principles. The economy has moved from fisheries to manufacturing and service industries in the last 17 years. Biotechnology and software production have also contributed to the economy. The GDP of the nation in 2018 was $25.882 billion.
Nanotechnology Organisations
Iceland has an organization involved in the promotion of nanoscience, which also explores the challenges of nanotechnology in the future. A brief outline is given below:
- Icelandic Centre for Research (RANNIS) - Supports research, studies, technical development and innovation in Iceland, and reports to the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. RANNIS has an annual budget allocated to the development of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology Education and Research
Iceland is home to a few universities that offer research and educational opportunities in nanotechnology. These are listed below:
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Nano Physics Center – The Science Institute at the University of Iceland owns the Nano Physics Center, dedicated to the education of outstanding young scientists, research at the highest international level and a focus on innovation and technology transfer to the industry.
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Nano Physics Group - Conducts research, both theoretical and experimental. Areas covered include fabrication and growth of semiconductor samples; vacuum electronics - based on semiconductor microstructures; spin and charge transports in semiconductor heterostructures; and photonics and hyperfine interaction in semiconductor nanostructures. The Group is part of the Reykjavík University.
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University of Iceland - The University’s Faculty of Physical Sciences promotes the research of solid-state physics and nanophysics.
Recent Developments
Global interest in nanotechnology research activities at the University of Iceland has been increasing since 2005. Over 200 research papers and articles have been published in various prestigious international journals, such as Applied Physics Letters, Nature Photonics, Angewandte Chemie, Physical Review Letters and PCCP. This research work has earned the University two separate Grants of Excellence from the Rannís’ Research Fund. The University has now become a platform for world-class research in nanotechnology in Iceland.
The University of Iceland is a key player in the nanotechnology world. Their researcher’s work is attracting the attention of both domestic and international bodies.