The Australian Industry, Science and Innovation Minister Kim
Carr has confirmed to BioTechnologyNews.net
that the new Rudd Government will end the four-year, $21.5
million National Nanotechnology Strategy two years early. The move will
save around $12 million in the short term but has been criticised as
short sighted by industry insiders and the opposition Government.
Although the strategy was only announced by the previous
government in October last year, it will be canned in mid-2009. The
flow on effects include a funding risk for a
planned state-of-the-art atomic force microscope for the
National Measurement Institute (NMI) that was to provide a new
calibration service for nanoscale standards in Australia. The
development of regulatory standards and occupational health and safety
rules for the Australian nanotechnology industry are also in doubt.
The new Government is planning to review emerging technologies
like nanotechnology and develop a yet to be detailed wholistic national
innovation system.
Australian Nano Business Forum chief executive Tina Rankovic told BTN
that she was disappointed, but not surprised, at the decision.
"In a meeting I had with Senator Carr last year, he did flag
the possible scrapping of the Nanotech Strategy in its current form, so
I'm not surprised," she said.
"However, I am a little disappointed in that that it's been
scrapped with nothing to replace it other than a review."
Rankovic felt that the decision would have little
immediate impact on Australian nanotech companies but could slow the
development of the Australian industry in the medium term.
"The whole thing will be slowed up. If occupational health and
safety issues are not researched and frameworks put in place to address
them, if regulatory frameworks aren't put into place, if access to
national infrastructure like metrology facilities is not possible then
I guess the building blocks to develop nano-enabled products won't be
there," she said.
Posted 16th January 2007
