Sabancı University Nanotechnology Center - Part 1

There are various descriptions of nanotechnology.  First of all, the scale is small, really small.  Smaller than one thousandths of a strand of hair.  Nanotechnology concerns engi-neering and scientific studies on an atomic level.  Nanotechnology aims to manufacture things that are not found in nature.  Actually, we should call this by its plural – nanotech-nologies.  It is a wide spectrum of technologies.

Its key components are not visible to the naked eye, but its implications are great.  It is applied everywhere from leading edge technology to art, and has a current market of 10 billion dollars.  We are expecting this to go up into hundreds of billions in the near future.  The prerequisite to doing the right research in such a breadth of field is to cooperate, col-laborate and do teamwork.

Why do we want to invest in this technology?  It has great implications, both economi-cally and otherwise.  The 20th century was the century of energy.  The countries that ruled the world usually ruled energy resources as well.  The 21st, on the other hand, will be dependent on technology.  Countries that dominate technology will gain a significant share of the market, and improve the welfare of their people.  According to many experts, nanotechnologies are the way to go in the 21st century.
 
In order to take its place in this tech-oriented world, to improve its welfare, and to pro-vide security for its people in the future, Turkey must invest in this field.

Why do we do this at Sabancı University?  Sabancı University is a young institution.  The Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences was already working on this.  After a two-year planning phase supported by 30 faculty members, we submitted a proposal to the State Planning Organization’s Infrastructure Support Program.  The proposal was ac-cepted and we were granted an equipment support of TL 27 million.  Then, the Sabancı Foundation, the founder of our university, offered a grant of TL 23 million to construct a new building.  These resources paved the way to a structure that would advance the nanotechnology research already underway at the university.

to be continued...