Well, Russia is also getting aggressive on nanotechnology. Now, this is a very serious competitor; only this time it could be the nanowar, rather than cold war, and worse!

[December 16, 2005]

Zhukov suggests concentrated financing of nano-technology

(Interfax News Agency)MOSCOW. Dec 15 (Interfax) - Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov has suggested making nano-technologies a priority of Russian science and the economy.

Russia should have a national program for the development of nano- technologies, Zhukov said at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

"The significance of nano-technologies in the 21st century will be equal to that of the atomic bomb and information technology in the 20th," he said.

In contrast to many other spheres, Russia is not yet lagging behind other states in the field of nano-technology, Zhukov said. "Yet we may begin to do so should a national program supporting nano-technologies not be launched," he said.

Experts believe that the world market for nano-technologies will reach trillions of dollars in 2015-2020, Zhukov said.

The government should concentrate funds on specific scientific projects, including nano-technologies. "Should we continue dispersing our funds, our results will be meager," he said.

Allocations for science and innovation will reach 2% of Russia's GDP by 2010, Education and Science Minister Andrei Fursenko said.

Best,

Nanoguru.