July 22, 2005 – Nanotechnology in emerging economies in Asia has been driven mostly by government policies and strategies. Governments of rising Asian nanotech giants like China, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are investing heavily in research, encouraging academia–industry collaboration and providing incentives for commercialization of nanotechnologies. While there is increasing corporate investment in nanotech in these countries, governments continue to provide the bulk of funds and support resources. Asia is also witnessing a steady shift toward applied research, and new startups and incumbents are starting to bring exciting nanotech products to market.
The discovery of carbon nanotubes at NEC Corp.'s research lab in Japan helped spark global interest in nanotechnology. Japan remains a world leader, and enjoys a commanding lead in terms of investment and commercialization of nanotechnologies in the Asia-Pacific region, with close to $1 billion spent under the Nanotechnology and Materials Program. But other Asian countries are catching up.
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