Sherlock launches Nanoweek 2013

Seán Sherlock, the Irish Minister for Research and Innovation, and NanoNet Ireland, the national network representing nanoscience in academia and industry, have officially launched Nanoweek 2013.

The week of events will celebrate the importance of nanoscience to the Irish economy and the excellence of nanoscience research within its universities, and will seek to grow public awareness of a technology which is fundamental to medicine, communications, pharmaceuticals, energy and transport, amongst other sectors.

Introducing the week of events, which will take place from 14-21 June, Sherlock said: “The sector has grown rapidly in the last decade from a niche industry to one which now contributes €15bn of our annual exports and supports 250,000 Irish jobs. The government, primarily through Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Ireland’s Higher Education Authority, is strongly committed to supporting Irish nanoscience and the further development of excellent research that delivers real economic and social impact for Ireland and Europe.”

The focus of the week will be EuroNanoForum 2013, which will attended by Pan European Networks, who are media partners to the conference. The forum will include an opening address from Máire Geoghegan Quinn, European Commissioner for Science, Research and Innovation, as well as speeches from Professor Andrea Ferrari, Director of the Cambridge Graphene Centre, and Professor Dainius Pavalkis, Minister of Education and Science in Lithuania. The event will attract over 1,200 international delegates, 90 exhibitors and over 120 speakers.

The conference will be the last major event held under the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Presidency will move to Lithuania at the beginning of July.

An interview conducted by Pan European Networks with Professor Danias Pavalkis, Lithuanian Minister of Education & Science, can be read here.