BinhThuan (VNS/VNA) — New technologies that work at the nanolevelcould be used to produce nano materials for mass market products, Jean-CharlesGuibert, chairman of MINATEC, one of the largest world-wide innovation campusesin micro-nano-bio technologies, said.

Guiberttold Viet Nam News that it was important, however, to set upintellectual property protection in order to use nanomaterials in products.

“Vietnam’slaboratories have the skills, but they need more equipment to developVietnamese intellectual property. In addition, it is important to ask publicresearchers and professors to transfer their knowledge to industry,” he added.

Speakingat an international workshop that began on November 9 in Binh Thuan province,he said that a favourite way to transfer knowledge to industry is via thecreation of startups as they can move inventions into innovation for themarket.

“Thistrend is supported by young researchers looking to develop their own company,”Guibert said.

AtMINATEC laboratories, materials are at the core of multiple applications fueledby innovative startup products, he said.

He addedMINATEC campus teams have created more than 50 material-based companies, hesaid, adding that this supported the MINATEC business model, with strong incomein terms of R&D contracts and licences. Today, 30 percent of campus revenueis based on income from these startups.

Thethree-day workshop features a broad scope of important issues innanotechnology, ranging from nanofabrication techniques and nanomaterials.Applications of micro-nanotechnology are also being highlighted.

Nae-EungLee, a lecturer at Sunkyunkwan University’s department of advanced materialsscience and engineering in the Republic of Korea, spoke about the essentialrequirements for developing nanosensors for smart and wearable electronics.

Sensorsare critical components in many smart wearable systems that can be used forbio-medical diagnostics, prosthetics, prognostics, preventive medicine andrehabilitation medicine, according to Lee.

Integrationof various sensor devices into mobile smartphones is now being investigated,which would enable the analysis of bio-markers from various body fluids,monitor physiological parameters, and detect hazardous gases around humans, headded.

Forthese purposes, the development of various sensors with high sensitivity,accuracy, durability and stability is required, he said.

NguyenDuc Hoa, Vice Chairman of the Binh Thuan provincial People’s Committee, saidthat nanotechnology would help develop the economy in the fourth industrialrevolution.

TheInternational Workshop on Nanotechnology and Application, which ends onNovember 11, connects scientists, researchers, enterprises and investors, andstrengthens co-operation in scientific research, training and nanotechnology,with the aim of making products that encourage sustainable growth, Hoa said.

Theworkshop was organised by the Institute for Nanotechnology at Vietnam NationalUniversity-HCM City in cooperation with the People’s Committee of Bình Thuan andCommissariate à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives in France,supported by Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and otherorganisations.-VNA