Nanotechnology: Enabling Sustainability and A Platform for Innovation

Dr. Lerwen Liu (NanoGlobe Pte Ltd, Asia Nano Forum)

GENERAL

DATE: 2013-05-28
TIME: 16:00:00 - 17:00:00
LOCATION: Graduate Teaching Room (Ian Ross Building)
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ABSTRACT:
Nanotechnology is on its way to revolutionize how we make things and change the way we live. It is able to transform multiple industries including aerospace, agriculture, automotive, chemical, energy and environment, food, information and communication, medicine and health care, security and transportation. Nanotechnology offers so many possibilities such as providing cheap and clean energy, clean water, lighter and stronger materials, faster, more powerful and energy efficient computers, an exponential increase in information storage capacity and transmission speed, lotus-like self-cleaning surfaces, butterfly wing structural colors, the reduction or elimination of pollution, and early detection and treatment for cancer and other diseases.

Dr Lerwen Liu will present a general introduction of nanotechnology and highlight its contributions towards sustainability through consuming less material; producing products with less energy consumption, less or no waste/toxicity; cleaning polluted air/water and enabling better/safer products improving our everyday life. Dr Liu will provide examples on how nanotechnology impacts different industries including energy, electronics, agriculture, marine, aerospace, sporting goods, and automotive, and enables innovation throughout the industry value chain.

BIO:
Dr Liu is the managing director of NanoGlobe, a unique nanotechnology-focused business consultancy in Asia that provides intelligence and business development services to high level corporate and government clients worldwide. Together with a number of nanotechnology leaders in Asia, she co-founded the Asia Nano Forum (www.asia-anf.org, a nanotechnology society linking 15 Asia Pacific economies) and has been serving as the Secretary since 2004. Dr Liu also served as a director of Zyvex Asia managing its operation in Singapore and from 2008 through 2011 the Atomic Precise Manufacturing Program (APM). She is a strategic adviser and a member of the Board of Directors of Nanostart Asia, and has been playing a vital role for setting up Nanostart AG`s Singapore fund, investments, and operation. She is an invited evaluation panel member for the Proof-of Concept (POC) grant scheme of the National Research Foundation (NRF) of the Singapore government and has been actively support Singapore government nanotechnology strategy and commercialization efforts. She is also an invited selection panelist for the Singapore National Academy of Science Young Scientist Awards. She was on the advisory board of Nanotechnology Opportunity Report (NOR) published in March 2002 which is the first comprehensive global market report on nanotechnology and co-wrote one of the chapters "Nanotechnology Market and Company Report-Finding Hidden Pearls" with a team of experts from Deutsche Bank and University of Ulm in Germany and with the Nanotechnology Expert Committee of the Malaysian Government Researchers` Directory Exchange (REDEX). Dr Liu has written (from 2003 through 2006) over 150 reports providing insights on nanotechnology policy, R&D and business trends in the Asia Pacific region. Her reports are available at the Asia Pacific Nanotech Weekly (APNW, www.nanoworld.jp/apnw) sponsored by the Nanotechnology Research Institute (NRI) of Japan National Institute of Industry Science and Technology (AIST). Dr Liu has a PhD in physics specializing in many-body effects and transports in semiconductor nanostructures, and has conducted research work in Australia, Japan, USA and Italy.