NanoDAY by Clúster MAV: an event to discuss about nanotechnology and related industry in Catalonia

by Virginia Greco

The conference included the presentation of the second volume of the White Paper on Nanotechnologies and of success cases of technology transfer, discussed by representatives of various companies.

On the occasion of the (Inter)National Day of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, the Cluster of Advanced Materials of Catalonia (Clúster MAV - MAV Cluster) organised an event on October 9 at which trends in this field, success stories and technology transfer experiences were presented and discussed. Organised in collaboration with the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of the University of Barcelona (IN²UB), it was held at the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry of the University of Barcelona (UB).

Ona Bombí, Manager of the MAV Cluster, and Guillem Aromí, director of the IN²UB, opened the event and gave the floor to Maria Dolors Núñez, team leader of analysis and detection of technological opportunities of ACCIÓ, who presented the rich ecosystem of nanoscience and nanotechnology in Catalonia. Following, Jordi Díaz-Marcos –from the Science and Technology Centres of the University of Barcelona (CCiTUB)— and Joan Mendoza –from the IN²UB— talked about the second volume of the White Paper on Nanotechnologies, a document that aims to provide an overview of the state of the art of nanotechnology and its applications, including sectors such as medicine, energy, microscopy, water, nanoproducts, cosmetics, food, and electronics.

The first part of the event concluded with a talk by Magdalena Valldosera, Project Manager of the MAV Cluster, and Alfonso del Rey, Head of Technology Transfer at ICMAB, who introduced NanoHUB.cat, the first platform that will serve to connect all the organisations in the country that are dedicated or related to nanotechnology. The aim of the project, managed by the MAV Cluster, is to increase the capacity and competitiveness of the entities involved.

After a coffee break for networking, it was the turn of representatives of a few start-ups and companies who presented their technology or products and gave a testimony of their business experience. Among them was Claudio Roscini, co-founder and CTO of Futurechromes, a spin-off company of the ICN2 focused on the production of transparent photochromic materials with a fast response and greater stability for applications in smart windows, eyeglasses, helmets, etc.

The other speakers were: Jose Moncayo, CEO of Molecular Gate, an ICMAB-CSIC spin-off that offers solutions against counterfeiting, particularly in the health sector; María Eugenia Martín, co-founder and CEO of ColorSensing, an IN²UB spin-off that develops sensor applications based on colour measurement for various applications, including food quality monitoring; Elvira Villaro, CTO of Avanzare, a company that offers high-performance nanomaterials and nanotechnology-based products spanning rubber, plastic, thermosets, varnishes, cardboard, textiles, etc.; David Bueno Project Manager at ECOPOL TECH, a company dedicated to the development and production of advanced polymers (with a focus on polyurethanes and polyureas).

The event concluded with a panel discussion, moderated by Virginia Greco, science writer and communication officer at the ICN2. The aforementioned company representatives and Jordi Diaz discussed some of the challenges of transferring technology to various sectors of industry and answered numerous questions from the audience.