The term nanotechnology was first used by Professor Norio Taniguchi of the Tokyo University of Science at a meeting of the Japan Society for Precision Engineering in 1974. Today, Japan is a key player on the global nanotechnology stage and holds one of the largest international nanotechnology exhibitions and conferences in Tokyo every year. Czech nanotechnologists are regular attendees.

42,000 visitors over 3 days

Japan invests more than 1 billion dollars a year in research and development and has an extensive network of innovation centres, and it expects the value of the nanotechnology market to exceed 310 billion dollars by 2030. The 23rd International Nanotechnology Exhibition and Conference nano tech 2024 took place this year from 31 January to 2 February at Tokyo Big Sight, the largest international exhibition centre in Japan. Following the Covid hiatus, nano tech has returned to its original visitor strength. Over the course of 3 days, the event was attended by 42,034 visitors. On this prestigious platform, which attracts companies and research laboratories from all over the world, Czech nanotechnology was presented by the Czech Nanotechnology Industries Association together with the companies NanoTrade and nanoSPACE Technology at the stand of the EU-Japan Centre. „We decided once again to present the Czech Republic at the EU-Japan Centre’s stand following last year’s very positive experience, and the organisation was once again excellent and highly professional. The team leader of the Japanese office, Fabrizio Mura, has promised us further assistance beyond the exhibition in finding business contacts in Japan. He was also very interested in information about one of the hot new developments from Czech nanotechnologists, a 3D nanoprinter that was unveiled to the public for the first time at the end of last year.“

Showing how Czech nanotechnology contributes to global progress

The main official theme of the nano tech 2024 exhibition was the commercialisation of new nanotechnology materials in the sense of shaping the future of business. The Czech Republic is among the pioneers in this field. At the beginning of the 21st century, we were one of the first countries where nanotechnology moved from laboratories into products for everyday use. „Our exhibited nanosilver functional clothing products and the SKI365 year-round skiing technology, as examples of applied nanotechnology hi-tech, attracted a great deal of interest,“ says Ladislav Torčík of NanoTrade, adding: „The visitors were mainly B2B entities. We brought home a large number of contacts that we will be following up on. It turned out that our everyday products, our staples and bestsellers, are of interest in Japan too. It also showed that our 20 years of experience are a valuable source of references and of well-earned pride in a job well done.“ 

The Japanese and nanofibre

The Japanese are familiar with Czech nanofibre. Elmarco, the Liberec-based manufacturer of the Nanospider machine, already has several installations in Japan. At this year’s nano tech, however, we presented a technological innovation, so-called hybrid spinning. „With our new technology, we are able to produce, for example, two-layer nanofibre membranes from two different polymers, and this can be used, for instance, in cosmetics, where each of the layers has a different function. This time in Japan there was interest not only in our nanomembranes but also in the technology itself, which they would like to test and compare with what they already know,“ says Jan Buk of nanoSPACE Technology.

Cars made of wood

Cars made of wood, or rather of nanocellulose, were one of the most striking exhibits of the show. Nanocellulose is stronger than steel, yet it is an organic material. It can be made from any material containing cellulose, including rice husks, but wood pulp is commonly used. Although nanocellulose is not a new arrival this year, this was the first time it became one of the dominant nanomaterials. One stand even displayed musical instruments made of nanocellulose. This is probably linked to the fact that sustainability is becoming a key theme in Japan too.