Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/59979
Technology Nanotech—The Next 'Small' Thing The next big thing in the tech sector isn't big at all. Nanotechnology, in fact, concerns manufacturing on the tini- est scale—on the scale of one to 100 nanometers—or less than 100 bil- lionth of a meter—in size. Even so, say business tech experts, nano's importance to business promises to be enormous. Lux Research, a nanotechnology research and ad- visory firm based in New York City, predicts that, over the next ten years, nanotechnology will be found in 15 percent of the world's products and drive a $2.6 trillion market. What makes nanotechnology such a potential boon is its applicability to so many different products and processes. As a true platform technol- ogy, it could enhance the function of tech devices and provide stronger, more resilient building materials. Computer switches that are molecu- larly sized, for example, could even- tually replace silicone in computers, for faster operation and significantly greater capacities. Nanotechnology is drawing stu- dents with technical backgrounds in science and engineering to the busi- ness school, says Steve Currall, asso- ciate professor of management, psy- chology, and statistics and the William and Stephanie Sick Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Jones School ofManagement at Rice Uni- versity in Houston, Texas. "They want to leverage their technical back- grounds in an emerging new indus- try like nano," he says. Currall also is the founding director of the Rice Al- liance of Technology and Entrepre- neurship, a key factor in Small Times magazine's naming Rice as the No. 1 university in the U.S. in the commer- 48 BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2005 for true collaboration between busi- ness and engineering." As demand for people with expertise in business and nanotechnology grows, Currall says, more people with chemistry or engineering backgrounds will want to pursue anMBA to position themselves well in the marketplace.He says, "It's a marketing opportunity for business schools that want to be on the cut- ting edge of a new industry." iBooks for EMBAs cialization of nanotechnology. Founded in 1999, the Rice Al- liance focuses on four areas of new technology development: energy, in- formation technology, life sciences, and nanotechnology. However, nano is the area that has developed the most infrastructure, primarily through a $12.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation in 2000. That grant helped the university develop its Center for Biological and Environmental Nano- technology. Today, the school has al- ready received 11 patents in nano- technology and has spun off four startups in technology. One of those four startups, Car- bon Nanotechnologies Incorpo- rated, specializes in single- walled carbon nano tubes. The tiny tubes look like spaghetti when viewed under an electron microscope, but are 100 times stronger than steel and one- sixth its weight. The tubes will have applications in everything from batteries to flat-panel dis- plays to automobiles. Nanotechnology's application in the business school is one of disciplinary integration, adds Currall. "Nano is another area It's no news that executives pursuing their MBAs often have to rely on distance learning and online technologies to stay on top of their programs. This year, the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Falls Church has given its 25 EMBA students a tech- nological head start. Each student has been equipped with an Apple iBook laptop, iPod, Griffitalk microphone, and iSight camera to allow students to meet online, record interactive lec- tures, and participate in class, even when out of the area. Charles Jacobina, executive direc- tor of Pamplin's EMBA program, wanted to make sure that face-to- face interaction was not lost, even if student schedules conflict. This