Basque Govt hosts the largest European event in Nanosciences

After the success of the first edition held in 2011, the Basque Country will once again host Imaginenano 2013. The Bilbao Exhibition Centre-BEC will, hand in hand with the Basque Government’s Department of Economic Development and Competition, host the largest European event in Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies. Held from 23 to 26 of April, close to 2,000 visitors are expected.

The Basque Government has made an effort to host this European initiative again with the objective of providing business opportunities, open markets of collaboration and transfer of knowledge between research communities and companies related with nanoscience and micro and nanotechnologies.

The Basque Government’s promotion to implement and diversify nanosciences, micro and nanotechnologies in the industrial application framework establishes a strategic map of the scientific-technological policy. Therefore, the application of these innovative technologies in practically all industrial sectors in the Basque Country stands out as an opportunity for new corporate transformation.

On the institutional side, the coordination of Basque participation falls on the nanoBasque Agency (SPRI), and in addition they are one of the organisers of the Phantoms Foundation, a non-profit organisation which promotes European excellence and improvement in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology, in addition to CIC nanoGUNE, DIPC, Euskampus and the BEC-Bilbao Exhibition Centre.

In this second edition the guest country will be France with a visit by the Director of Higher Education and Research of the French Government, Roger Genet.

Seven Science Conferences

The main objective of this edition is to unite interests, on the one hand, in a scientific sphere and the industrial on the other.  On the scientific side, Imaginenano will give seven international conferences in which the Basque presence will be notable through the participation of important scientific-technological research projects developed in the Basque Country.

The Basque presence in the scientific sessions will be made up by Graphene 2013 (CIC nanoGUNE, CFM and Graphenea), NanoBio&Med 2013 (the CIC’s nanoGUNE, microGUNE and biomaGUNE, Polymat and IK4-CIDETEC), SPM 2013 (CIC nanoGUNE), PPM 2013 (DIPC, CFM and CIC nanoGUNE), NanoSD 2013 (Tecnalia and Aernnova), TNA Energy 2013 (CIC energiGUNE and UPV/EHU) and lastly NanoSpain 2013 (CIC biomaGUNE, CIC microGUNE, UPV/EHU and Tecnalia).

Exhibition

A 175 m² pavilion will house the NanoBasque Agency, at a strategic location, where Basque companies and agents who work in the nanoscience and micro and nanotechnology fields will exhibit their product and projects of great innovative importance and destined to emerging markets.

In this space, 8 Basque companies, as well as Technological Research and Development Centres (CIC nanogune, CIC microgune, CIC biomagune, CIC energigune, Tecnalia, IK4, Euskampus and CFM) will join as exhibitors of their products and technologies.

Graphenea will participate by showing its high quality graphene sheets which it already sells to Nokia, Philips, Nissan, Canon and other multinationals of the sector. For its part, Ekoeaso will show the nanotechnological coverings it distributes, Tamag Ibérica, will present its magnetic microthreads already used by state of the art mobile manufacturers like Nokia, Sharp, LG and Garmin-Asus. Aliatec will present its nanoparticle detection technology to carry out work related with the study of air; Scientifica International will present its development, manufacturing and commercialisation of precise scientific equipment. For its part, Innovalia Group will demonstrate its developments in the field of dimensional micro and nanotechnologies, HTS-High Technology Solutions belonging to the Egile Group will present its technological capabilities in precision mechanics, and lastly the recently created POC microsolutions will present its POC platform for In Vitro Molecular Diagnostics, of great versatility because it can be personalised for various applications to diagnose diseases in the field of healthcare.