NanoVox

NanoVox is a multi-state/international, professionally-staffed, web-assisted mechanism to find and link technology, products, expertise and resources across industry sectors to accelerate commercialization by leveraging nanotechnology throughout the five-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, North & South Dakotas and Wisconsin, as well as Canada to the immediate north.

NanoVox originated as a project of a one-state, trade-association model – MN Nano. The MN Nano board of directors determined its model was not going to have the impact it desired, so it researched establishing a collaborative effort involving businesses, colleges/universities across a broader region, in order to achieve more of a “critical mass.” As of March 31, 2012, MN Nano has dissolved and NanoVox is in its infant stage. NanoVox is currently raising seed monies to implement its business plan, including establishing its administrative infrastructure, soliciting sponsors and paid industry & academic profiles, launching the web site and hiring a Director of Technology. To date, core funding of approximately $200,000 has come from transitional funding from MN Nano’s membership, as well as cash and in-kind support from the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Both of these universities’ involvement has also included volunteers on committees. Funding support for the current development phase is coming from these “anchor” universities as well as additional pledges from smaller colleges and universities, some core business sponsors and some support from “support industries” such as law firms, venture capitalists, chemical companies and tool manufacturers.

Nanotechnology has emerged rapidly as an enabler to virtually all science and technology market segments, but its impact ranges so broadly it is hard to link and capitalize on arising opportunities.
The more the Midwest region can link segments that have traditionally been somewhat insular, the stronger its position will be in R&D and the subsequent future tech-based economy. There is a critical need to bring together the R&D community, and others, to increase awareness of the collective strengths within the region. Similar to comparable consortia, NanoVox fancies itself an “economic development mechanism,” so it is seeking public funding to augment the private-sector and academic (public/private) involvement.

Though NanoVox is not yet “technically” open for business, we are already assisting to make “matches” in the region. For instance, a company with a coating for metals – USDA-approved – has received assistance to approach a privately-held dairy company regarding coating some of their equipment. Additionally, NanoVox volunteers have done two technology scans to assist a company and an academic researcher to pursue solutions to issues each were facing in unrelated industry sectors. One of the scans resulted in further assistance from specific volunteers to facilitate discussions between the original company seeking assistance and two of the potential collaborative partners discovered during the scanning process.

The NanoVox region includes over 206 colleges and universities with nano-related programs, with a broad level of expertise to offer businesses throughout the region. NanoVox is currently “inventorying” faculty and staff regarding their research foci, as well as cataloging tools and equipment available for either common-use or contracted services, as well as itemizing related expertise.