Innovation 360 Conference Highlights the Promise of Nanotechnology

From silicon quantum dots and ultralight, ultrastrong materials, to challenges in advanced technology manufacturing, nanotechnology will be in the spotlight at Innovation 360, the largest annual gathering of micro-nano innovators from industry and research institutions in Canada.

This year’s event brings together CMC Microsystems, manager of Canada’s National Design Network^®, and co-host NanoCanada, with experts from across North America to share insights and address challenges in stimulating the growth of nano-scale innovation in Canada. The event, which marks NanoCanada’s first national conference, takes place Sept. 25-26 in Montréal, QC.

“We are delighted that NanoCanada chose to launch its first national conference as part of our long-running, annual Innovation 360 event,” says Ian McWalter, President and CEO of CMC Microsystems. “Nanotechnologies offer benefits for next-generation products, and will profoundly change how these products are made. Together with NanoCanada we look forward to facilitating productive conversations and new partnerships addressing the opportunities and challenges in this exciting field.”

“We are excited to co-host our first national conference with CMC and its Innovation 360 event,” says Marie D’Iorio, President of NanoCanada. “The conference aligns perfectly with our goal of bringing together industry, academia and government to translate nanotechnology research and development into safe products for the marketplace. The focus on nanomanufacturing bridges the gap between technology demonstration and product development.”

This year’s Innovation 360 theme is Converging on Nanomanufacturing. Presentation topics include:

• The potential for nanomaterials, including specialty glasses, nanocomposites for green energy, and a new group of materials based on nanocrystals;
• Standards, regulations and health and safety considerations of nanotechnology;
• The challenges of systems integration for quantum computing applications;
• Harnessing the benefits of 3-D nano-architected meta-materials;
• The fourth industrial revolution: what skills should graduate students acquire, and how will increasing automation affect companies and knowledge institutions?

Industry panelists will talk about the advantages of micro/nanofabrication for emerging technologies, and share lessons learned in overcoming barriers to commercialization of nanotechnologies.

Companies will be invited to share their technical challenges in a unique innovation pitch session,  with opportunities for other participants to offer solutions in confidence.

NanoCanada is also launching a poster session for students and researchers highlighting their original contributions in the fields of nanomaterials, nanodevice fabrication and characterization, and nanomanufacturing.

Addressing this year’s awards banquet will be Bob McDonald, host of CBC’s popular science program, Quirks and Quarks.

Always a favorite at Innovation 360, this year’s TEXPO Student Competition and Exhibition is expanding into the nano realm with the introduction of its new Excellence in Nanofabrication Award. TEXPO gives graduate students and postdoctoral fellows the opportunity to compete for more than $12,000 in prizes in four award categories by demonstrating working prototypes of their novel, sophisticated technologies and devices to industry representatives and academic peers.

Innovation 360 will also feature the annual awarding of the Douglas R. Colton Medal for Research Excellence.

Innovation 360 runs from Sept. 25-26 at Centre Mont-Royal, Montréal, QC. The full program can be viewed at http://innovation360.ca/