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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