Enabling technology futures :
a survey of the Australian technology landscape
National Enabling Technologies Strategy Expert Forum
Prepared by the Australian Institute for Commercialisation
For the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education
Enabling t echnology f utures: a s urvey of the Australian t echnology l andscape
Disclaimer
This report provides insight into the future of enabling technologies and areas of convergence. The Commonwealth, its officers and employees do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance of the material contained in this report. This report is not meant to constitute professional advice and any persons should seek competent professional advice. The Australian Government accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss to any person resulting from the use of this material.
Copyright
? Commonwealth of Australia 2012
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, GPO Box 9839, Canberra ACT 2601.
Reference
Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (2012). Enabling technology futures: a survey of the Australian technology landscape. DIISTRE, Canberra.
Table of Contents
1.1 Key Findings and Considerations 2
1.1.4 Influences Affecting Adoption 5
3.2 Energy and the Environment 8
3.3 Resource Efficiency and Waste Management 9
4. ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES SUMMARY TABLE 11
5.1 Nanotechnology Global Market Overview 15
5.2 Nanotechnology Analysis 18
5.8 Nanotools and Platforms 30
5.8.1 Global Demand and Applications 30
5.9 Manufactured Nanomaterials and Components 33
5.9.1 Global Demand and Applications 34
5.9.2 Current and Emerging Developments 37
5.10 Nanodevices and Systems 43
5.10.1 Global Demand and Applications 43
5.10.2 Current and Emerging Developments 44
6.1 Biotechnology Global Market Overview 50
6.7 Emerging Biotechnology Techniques 56
6.8 Biotechnology Applications 62
6.8.1 Medical Biotechnology 62
6.8.2 Industrial Biotechnology 66
6.8.3 Agricultural Biotechnology 74
6.8.4 Biotechnology and Nanotechnology Convergence 82
7.1 Synthetic Biology Global Market Overview 85
7.3.1 Advancing Scientific Knowledge and Understanding 88
7.4.1 Scalability from Laboratory Trials 89
7.4.2 Underestimated Complexity 89
7.4.3 A Gap between Tools and Applications 90
7.5.1 Risks Associated with Renewable Energy Applications 92
7.5.2 Risks Associated with Medical Applications 92
7.5.3 Risks Associated with Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Applications 93
7.5.4 Biosecurity and Biosafety 93
7.7 Synthetic Biology Applications 96
7.7.1 Renewable Energy Applications 96
7.7.2 Applications in the Food Industry 99
7.7.3 Environmental Applications 101
7.7.4 Convergence with Other Enabling Technologies 102
8. CONTRIBUTION TO ADDRESSING AUSTRALIA’S MAJOR NATIONAL CHALLENGES 105
8.1.2 The Role of Enabling Technologies 106
8.2.2 The Role of Enabling Technologies 109
8.3 Increasing Demand for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources 110
8.3.2 The Role of Enabling Technologies 111
8.4 Sustainable Use of Natural Resources 116
8.4.2 The Role of Enabling Technologies 117
8.5 Ageing of the Population and Health 118
8.5.2 The Role of Enabling Technologies 120
8.6.2 The Role of Enabling Technologies 127
8.7.2 The Role of Enabling Technologies 129
8.8 Global Competitiveness and Productivity of Australian Industry 130
8.8.2 The Role of Enabling Technologies 132
8.9 National Defence and Security 134
8.9.2 The Role of Enabling Technologies 135
9. INFLUENCES AFFECTING THE ADOPTION OF ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES 145
9.1 Market-pull Commercialisation 145
9.3 Government Support for Research and Enabling Technologies 147
9.4 Convergence of Technologies 147
9.5 Collaboration between Research and Industry Sectors 149
9.6 Incremental, Radical and Transformational Innovation 149
9.7 Product Innovation versus Market Innovation 150
9.8 Knowledge of Enabling Technologies 150
9.9 Regulatory Environment 151
9.9.1 Effects of Regulation on Innovation 151
9.10 Intellectual Property Rights 152
9.10.1 Regulation and Legislative Environments 154
9.11 Ethical Considerations 156
9.11.2 Social Implications 158
? Commonwealth of Australia 2012
Enabling Technology Futures: A Survey of the Australian Technology Landscape
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In the next ten to twenty years, the bio- and nano-enabling technologies, converging with information technologies and cognitive science, will have a significant impact on society, industry and the consumer, both in Australia and globally. The enabling technologies of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and synthetic biology (an advanced form of biotechnology) are the subject of this report, Enabling technology futures: a survey of the Australian technology landscape (ET Futures). They have the potential to revolutionise science, health, energy, resources, the environment, consumer products and manufacturing processes. These enabling technologies have the potential to make a significant contribution to addressing the global challenges we face however this can only be achieved through successful translation and commercialisation of new products, services and systems. Enabling technologies also raise specific challenges themselves—for government, industry and consumers—which must be identified and addressed as these technologies become more readily available.
The National Enabling Technology Strategy (NETS) was established in 2009 to provide a framework to support the responsible development of enabling technologies. Under the Strategy, an Expert Forum was established with the responsibility to undertake foresighting activities to identify ways in which enabling technologies might contribute to addressing major global and national challenges, and to support the development of appropriate policy and regulatory frameworks.
This report, carried out under the auspices of the Expert Forum, provides a view of the future of nanotechnology, biotechnology and synthetic biology, including areas of convergence, and provides readers with insights into emerging applications that are informing future strategies, products, markets and investment opportunities. These three types of enabling technologies have been selected as they are considered fundamental to research and development (R&D) across a wide number of areas, including manufacturing, energy production and agriculture.
The technologies and their applications are described in terms of their stage of development - horizon 1 (already being commercialised), horizon 2 (lab bench) and horizon 3 (blue sky), with an emphasis on horizon 2 and horizon 3 developments.
ET Futures is supported by information and data on each of the enabling technology areas including drivers, opportunities, risks, barriers, challenges and their disruptive potential. Disruptive potential refers to impact of new technologies on existing manufacturing processes, systems, industries and markets. The report then proceeds to discuss factors influencing the adoption of enabling technologies and their potential to address major national challenges.
Nanotechnology, involves the manipulation of matter on the nanometer scale (1nm to 100nm). The International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) defines nanotechnology as ‘the application of scientific knowledge to manipulate and control matter in the nanoscale in order to make use of size- and structure-dependent properties and phenomena, as distinct from those associated with individual atoms or molecules or with bulk materials’. It is a multidisciplinary field encompassing biology, chemistry, physics and engineering. Nanotechnology researchers are focusing on a range of issues to improve the performance, multi-functionality, integration, and sustainability of products and systems for a variety of emerging and converging applications. This will result in a suite of new manufactured nanomaterials, nanodevices and nanosystems with unprecedented properties and functionality. Research, particularly on manufactured nanomaterials, has shown the potential to have a widespread impact in health, information, energy and many other fields. However, there are many factors to be considered, and challenges to be overcome, in adopting nanotechnologies: this study aims to highlight these considerations.
Biotechnology is the application of science and technology to living organisms and products of living organisms, to produce knowledge, goods and services. In the next decade, advancements in biotechnology are expected to achieve significant advances in genomic information and genetic engineering; new developments in therapeutics and personalised medicine; increased yield of plant and animal foods; and the development of a number of biological based products such as bioplastics, biocatalysts and advanced biofuels. However, the biotechnology industry faces many barriers to success, most important of which are those that affect the development of appropriate research and technology transfer capability, including access to funding, shortage of skills and regulatory issues.
Synthetic biology, an advanced form of biotechnology, is an emerging field of research that combines elements of biology, engineering, genetics, chemistry, and computer science. It converges with nanotechnology in that it involves molecular engineering at the nanoscale. Whilst the timeframes for commercialisation are longer than that of nanotechnology and biotechnology, the potential promise of synthetic biology is immense, including applications in: clean energy and biofuels, pollution control and remediation, agriculture and food, medicine and health, and biosensors.
While most of the outputs of synthetic biology remain in early stages of development, some applications are expected to come to market within a few years. However, the pace of acceleration of synthetic biology is likely to increase dramatically in the years ahead, and is expected to impact many products and services.
1.1 Key Findings and Considerations
Australia possesses world-class enabling technology strengths—including world leading research organisations—with the prospect to lead future developments and market applications. For Australia to remain globally competitive against advanced and emerging economies in research, scientific know-how and product innovation, it will need to capitalise on its existing comparative advantages in these domains. The development of new enabling technology applications, their translation into valuable outcomes for business and society, and their subsequent adoption will require close collaboration between government, industry and the broader community. In this respect, it must be noted that underlying skills in enabling sciences such as physics, chemistry and mathematics are vital for the development of enabling technologies and their applications.
A number of major challenges are facing Australia, both locally and from a global perspective. The key challenges discussed in ET Futures are:
· Capturing opportunities from the mining boom
· Impacts of climate change
· Increasing demand for energy
· Sustainable use of natural resources
· Ageing of the population and health
· Food security with rising global demand for food
· Biosecurity
· Changing factors of global competitiveness aligned with major shifts in the global geo-political economy
· National defence and security
These challenges will impact on the future growth and prosperity of Australia and will need to be mitigated for the benefit and advancement of the nation. Many applications, such as materials and energy production systems present challenges of production cost and complexity and will require more time for adaptation. Australia’s comparative advantage for enabling technologies may lie in areas of strength such as minerals and agriculture.
1.1.1 Nanotechnology
Applications derived from nanotechnologies are expected to make a significant contribution to diverse fields such as:
· Water purification and treatment, which will become increasingly important in urban areas, agriculture and mining, particularly as a result of the impact of climate change
· Health care, involving applications in medicine, dentistry, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics
· Energy efficiency and clean energy technologies, including improved battery storage, improved solar cells, and micropower supplies for personal electronics
ET Futures examines these applications in terms of tools and platforms; component materials and reagents; structures, devices and applications; and systems integration and intelligence.
Nanoparticles occur naturally, but nanotechnology can involve engineering nanoparticles to form manufactured nanomaterials, with a range of useful and novel properties, which may pose risks through inhalation, dermal penetration or environmental persistence. Research into nano-toxicology is needed to evaluate the impact of these new technologies on the environment, ecological systems and human health.
Nanotechnology can be used to address Australia’s national challenges in various ways, including nanosensors for resource management and environmental remediation; efficient energy production, storage and transmission; nanomaterials for tissue engineering, medical imaging and drug delivery; agrosensors to monitor crop and animal health; improved manufacturing methods; high-performance coatings; sensors for the detection of chemical and biological threats; explosives and propulsion systems; and robotic climbers for rough terrain.
1.1.2 Biotechnology
Although a more mature technology than nanotechnology, future innovation in biotechnology—including industrial biotechnology—will continue to contribute in a range of fields, including:
· Agriculture; genetic modifications of crops and treatments of diseases and pests
· Biofuels
· Bioinformatics
· Chemical and plastics industry feedstock; replacing petroleum derived products
· Diagnostics
· Human therapeutics; stem cell therapies and regenerative medicine
· Reagents and other active molecules
As biotechnology is the application of technology to living organisms, it is subject to extensive regulation which deals with both health and safety, and ethical issues. Biotechnology faces considerable cost barriers for successful commercialisation through clinical trials in medical biotechnologies, and comparative cost structures in industrial biotechnology.
Biotechnology and nanotechnology are converging into a new field known as nanobiotechnology. This field of study includes third generation DNA sequencing that incorporates nanopores, and the development of bio-chips (lab on a chip) involved in monitoring health.
Biotechnology has a role in addressing many of the Nation’s challenges, including through bioremediation of contaminated sites; biohydrometallurgy and bioleaching for enhanced mineral extraction; biorefining to create biofuels, platform chemicals and plastics from non-fossil fuel sources; biosensors to monitor soil health; genetic modification of crops to enabling adaption to a changing climate; personalised therapeutics; regenerative medicine; plant diagnostics to detect diseases; marker assisted selection for breeding of livestock; biomemetic security devices; and biomaterials for enhanced performance and camouflage.
1.1.3 Synthetic Biology
Synthetic biology is an advanced form of biotechnology that incorporates and extends nanobiotechnology, involving molecular engineering at the nanoscale. It combines elements of biology, engineering, genetics, chemistry, and computer science. Synthetic biology uses biochemical processes, molecules, and structures in novel and potentially useful ways through the modification of biological systems and the design and construction of biological systems not specifically found in nature. Research into synthetic biology is only a decade old but it has the potential to impact on many future applications, including: