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DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE


The Centre for Advanced Nanotechnology (CAN) is entering an exciting new phase of development. Since CAN's establishment in 1997 as Canada's first centre for nanotechnology research, we have been steadily advancing toward our goal of leading Ontario and Canada at the forefront of this emerging technology. Considerable support from the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund (ORDCF), our founding partner, Energenius, Inc., and the University of Toronto has enabled the recent large-scale expansion and renovation of our facilities in the Haultain Building. As a result, new research labs and new research thrusts focused on nanodevice development and fabrication are launching us into the new age of science and technology. New initiatives in education and communication are also underway to promote awareness of Nanotechnology and prepare to maximize its potential to greatly enhance our standard of living in the near future.

In keeping with CAN's multidisciplinary nature, all of our researchers from materials science, electrical and computer engineering, physics, chemistry and mathematics contribute to nanotechnology education. Nanoengineering, a cross-disciplinary option (offered for the first time in 2002/2003), is a milestone for CAN in fulfilling our mandate to produce a self-perpetuating pool of highly-qualified professionals to drive the new workforce as technology merges into commercialization.

Our vigorous research program led by world-class scientists and our strong vantage point as a unit within the University of Toronto, together with our ever-expanding network of national and international sponsors and collaborators spanning academia, government and industry, all continue to enhance our capability to increase Canada's competitiveness in the global technology market. When fully developed as envisioned, CAN will offer first-class research facilities to our interdisciplinary core of leading scientists and visiting researchers. We will continue to attract international collaborations and technology experts to guide and shape the new processes and new products that will emerge from this promising new technology.

Within the critical first decade of this new age of science and society, we have many challenges to meet, foremost among which is attaining the momentum to progress from technology to commercialization. New collaborations and partnerships are the key. We look forward most enthusiastically to a bright and eventful journey toward realizing our vision.

Harry E. Ruda, Professor
Director, Centre for Advanced Nanotechnology
Energenius Chair in Advanced Nanotechnology
Director, Electronic-Photonic Materials Group

Acknowledgments:

We extend our most grateful thanks to our sponsors and collaborators, to Energenius Inc. in particular, for their vision and confidence, to our many friends and supporters at the University of Toronto, including former President, Robert Prichard, members of the GRIP team (Government Research Infrastructure Programs), Rod Tennyson, Judith Chadwick, Assistant Director, the Office of Research Services (ORS), Peter Munsche, Assistant Vice-President - Technology Transfer, Chris Takenaka, Contracts Manager, Jason Bechtel, Intellectual Property and Contracts Counsel, the Office of International Program Development, Farhana Mather, Director, the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering and in particular, Dean Anastasios (Tas) Venetsanopoulos and Catherine Lewis, Chief Administrative Officer.

We also thank Genobyte Inc. for their generous permission to use their image, "Artist's Conception of Multimodular Artificial Brain in 3D" in our homepage background, David Deak, UofT engineering student, for his inspiration in designing our logo, Michael Karpelson, engineering student at Cornell University, for his time and technical skill in designing our web, and all of our readers for their interest in Nanotechnology and CAN.

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