Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: UK Open Access Centres

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Abstract:
INSCX exchange has today issued a joint statement inviting UK Open Access Centres, established to create a network of facilities to increase industry's ability to exploit nanotechnology, for the Centres to each register formally with the exchange as Service Providers to be included on the exchange database for recommendation to domestic an international industry as points of contact to further R&D advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

UK Open Access Centres

UK | Posted on August 2nd, 2010

Commenting on the initiative, a spokesperson for the exchange suggested "Registration with the exchange will provide these Centres with ability to enhance their revenue generation capability through being promoted by the exchange itself as providers of essential services. These services are needed by industry to further integrate nanoscience and nanotechnology. The UK's 24 Open Access Centres can clearly act as a support to not only our efforts to generate increased trade flows in (SHE) compliant nanomaterials, but also provide customers of the exchange and wider industry here in the UK with specialist services as and when required."

The invitation will be extended globally to include similar centres located in mainland Europe, the Americas and Asia in the months leading to the exchange launch. It is expected INSCX exchange's trading platform will go live in the United Kingdom and Americas by September 2010 with full global rollout scheduled to include Asia by first quarter 2011. Commenting on the envisaged exchange role for the Open Access centres, the spokesperson suggested,

"It is important these Open Access Centres know their expertise will be required by customers of this exchange and wider industry from day one. Nanotechnology is a fledgling industry which needs clear routes to market. The purpose of this exchange is support toward that end, both for suppliers and potential buyers of nanomaterials. State investment to date in creating a network of facilities and a wider infrastructure in nanoscience aimed at compliant commercialisation, must be provided with every opportunity to increase revenue generation. Given the climate of austerity we all face as a consequence of recent financial turmoil, investment in nanotechnology must begin to deliver a meaningful return on this capital employed."

Austerity threat to Open Access Centres

The legacy of recent global turmoil in financial circles has forced national government to engage in an unprecedented round of spending reviews, with all indications pointing to the onset of inevitable cuts in state funding. Britain's 24 nanotechnology centres could be among the first in a series of casualties of potential cuts to the UK science budget, according to the remit of a statement attributed to the UK Science Minister, David Willets carried in the domestic media July 23rd, 2010.

Nanotechnology spans different areas of science including chemistry, engineering and biosciences. When the final five nanotech centres were opened in 2006, the then science minister Lord Sainsbury said: "The UK has created a world-leading network of facilities that will significantly increase industry's ability to exploit nanotechnology."

The INSCX spokesperson added, "While it is not the position of the exchange to comment on proposed government policy, the assurance that favour will be directed toward continuing state support for "Blue Skies" scientific research is welcomed. That stated, the onus rests with our collective industry to perform by delivering sustainable revenue streams which despite the poor economic climate will make government more likely to view a purpose in continued, if not increased support. Government support can help, but ultimately our collective industry has to deliver."

INSCX exchange

INSCX exchange is a member of the NanoCentral Alliance of providers organised in the UK by NanoCentral www.nanocentral.eu part of the Centre for Process Innovation. Its aim is to be the focal point of the emerging world trade in nanomaterials, a trade which will be crucial to continuing world prosperity in the 21st century. Natural buyers of any suite of raw materials will by definition always favour the commodity exchange process over an insular in-the-trade process as it enables the ability to procure materials sight unseen with assurance they have met basic standards in materials quality, delivery, commercial insurance and price transparency, not to mention the exchange process enables use of forward hedging in the trade mechanism and support for supply upscaling through trade financing. The significance of INSCX expressed by comment attributed to the professional commodity broking community is signposted in the following commentary:

"The opening of INSCX is a significant event, as it means that for the first time nanomaterials may be traded in the same way as the basic commodities that have for many years been the foundation of industry and food production. The historic trade in commodities allowed purchasers across the world to buy goods sight unseen, knowing that since they were commodities the goods they were buying had to have met minimum standards of quality: this greatly facilitated the trade in these raw materials, and ceteris paribus had a downward effect on price. Larger quantities were available for lower prices, allowing the cheaper production of finished goods and foodstuffs. The opening of INSCX means the same benefits will now pass to nanomaterials: large volumes will be available to producers, and the nanomaterials purchased will be of assured quality and will be more competitively priced. This step is essential if the manifold benefits promised by nanotechnology are to be realized. The producers of the first generation of nanotechnology based products that are widely available to consumers and industrial clients will have to have access to large amounts of inexpensive raw materials to facilitate research, development and mass production. The opening of the Integrated Nano-Science and Commodity Exchange means the age of cheap, ubiquitous nanotechnology is now at hand."

Extract cited from www.howtotradecommodities.co.uk

www.howtotradecommodities.co.uk/integratednanoscienceandcommodityexchange.html

The exchange spokesperson, concluding as to why the involvement of Open Access Centres with the exchange was of importance, not only to the exchange, but to wider industry added, "This exchange can provide what is needed by existing and potential users to make increased use of nanomaterials a viable commercial option through delivering an open market process. However, in addition to providing the market mechanism, existing industry needs access to expert advice, services and direction as it attempts to navigate itself toward a situation of sustained integration of nanomaterials and nanosciences generally. This leaves a continued role for the Open Access Centres to develop revenue streams through collaboration with the exchange project."

Registration

Registration with INSCX exchange is by way of completing and filing a Preliminary Registration Questionnaire (PRQ) available from the exchange website www.inscx.com or via request to

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About INSCX
Integrated Nano-Science & Commodity Exchange (INSCX exchange) provides an open, transparent and compliant route to market for nanomaterials and nano-enabled commodities. INSCX exchange is a member, rule-bound, electronic (ECN) commodity exchange. Commodity exchanges have been used since the 16th century to structure efficiencies in the allocation of raw materials. From enabling trade in grains, metals, polymers, oils, materials, agricultural and other products, the world's exchanges have interacted to deliver the essential variables of price discovery, material standards, global reporting and trade
integrity.

Building on centuries of exchange heritage, INSCX serves the risk management and commercial trading needs of global customers particular to the manufacture, use, application and exchange of engineered nanomaterials. We are the world's only source of benchmark nanomaterials futures and options products available on any exchange, covering all eleven Thematic classes.

Our vision provides the marketplace to empower nanomaterials to realise their potential as the alternative, precision-engineered materials of the future.

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