The University of California at Santa Barbara
College of Engineering and
Center for Entrepreneurship & Engineering Management
by Marshall Burns, Ph.D.
 Nestled among the palm trees, museums, and tasting rooms of Santa Barbara, there is a tiny but thriving industry of research and commerce on the most cutting-edge technology ever conceived. Nanotechnology anticipates a world of machines and devices built and operated at the scale of atoms and molecules. Applications will revolutionize medicine, manufacturing, housekeeping, computation, space travel, and our very understanding of the world we live in. Several private and public companies on the California Central Coast, dozens of UC Santa Barbara laboratories, and a handful of forward-looking venture investors make up the burgeoning industry in this region.Objective: A study of nanotechnology business opportunities and their potential economic impact on the California Central Coast, from Thousand Oaks to San Luis Obispo, in both the short and longer terms. Methodology: Research, through public information and personal interviews, of both academic and commercial nanotech projects in the region, seeking to understand (a) their goals, (b) their prospects for success, and (c) the value if they do succeed. This will include leading UCSB and affiliated nanoscience and nanotech researchers, current companies that are developing or utilizing nanotechnology, current corporate sponsors of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCSB, venture capital firms active in this area, and other appropriate business leaders and economists. Report: The NanoCoast report is now available. To request a complimentary copy, please click here. |
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