Argentina: GOA Funds Nanotechnology Efforts

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000479

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR OES/PCI, OES/STC, WHA/BSC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KSCA KNNP TSPL TSPA TPHY AR
SUBJECT: Argentina: GOA Funds Nanotechnology Efforts


1. Summary: Buoyed by a ten million dollar grant
from the Argentine Ministry of the Economy (MOE),the
Argentine Nanotechnology Foundation (FAN) seeks to
diversify the Argentine economy through promotion of
public-private nanotechnology projects. FAN is the
first effort to tie public and private nanotechnology
interests together with a comparatively large GOA
financial commitment. FAN will rely on a cooperative
agreement with Lucent Technologies in Argentina to
produce nanotechnology products. FAN has also
announced construction of a new microelectronics
laboratory at the Atomic Center in the city of
Bariloche, where the first project will be the
development of infrared sensors for use in satellites
produced by the Argentine aerospace and nuclear
technology company INVAP. End Summary.


2. The GOA has committed USD 10 million over the next
five years to help diversify the Argentine economy
into high value-added exports through the Argentine
Nanotechnology Foundation (FAN),a public-private
partnership promoting nanotechnology research and
development. In an agreement due to be signed in
March, a Lucent Technologies facility in Argentina
will produce nanotechnology-related projects developed
by the organization.


3. FAN co-founder and board member Mario Mariscotti
told ESTH Section on February 17 that part of the
funding will be used to construct a microelectronics
laboratory at the Atomic Center in the city of
Bariloche, where the first project will be the
development of infrared sensors for satellites
produced by the Argentine aerospace and nuclear
technology company INVAP.


4. Mariscotti said that the FAN concept began with a
discussion between him and then Economics Minister
Roberto Lavagna on ways to diversify the Argentine
economy. This conversation resulted in a proposal to
create a private-public scientific partnership and a
commitment by the GOA to fund the project.


5. Mariscotti stressed that the primary purpose of
FAN is to provide incentives to attract Argentine
private industries into the nanotechnology area, not
to support science or research. He noted that there
has been some resentment of FAN within the scientific
community for this reason.


6. Mariscotti noted that nanotechnology development
has three stages: design, production, and quality
testing. He said FAN-supported initiatives would be
responsible for the design and quality testing stages,
while Lucent Technologies would handle the production
phase. He added that FAN is business-oriented and
plans to concentrate on the marketing of nanosciences
instead of research and development.


7. Previous GOA nanotechnology efforts have been
primarily through projects with the GOA-affiliated
National Council of Scientific and Technical
Investigation (CONICET). Although these efforts have
led to notable success in areas such as the
development of new fuel cells, officials at one
CONICET-affiliated organization told ESTHOFF that the
projects are often under-funded and many qualified
personnel end up leaving for better opportunities.
FAN is the first significantly-funded GOA effort to
tie public and private nanotechnology interests
together.


8. To see more Buenos Aires reporting, visit our
classified website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/buenosaires.< /a>

Gutierrez