Featured
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Editorial |
Upping the ante
Lessons learnt from Horizon 2020 and a determination to become a world-class hub for entrepreneurship form the basis of the European Commission’s ambitious Research and Innovation budget.
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Comment |
Present status and future prospects of perovskite photovoltaics
Solar cells based on metal halide perovskites continue to approach their theoretical performance limits thanks to worldwide research efforts. Mastering the materials properties and addressing stability may allow this technology to bring profound transformations to the electric power generation industry.
- Henry J. Snaith
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Editorial |
The quantum game
With the launch of the Quantum Technologies Flagship, the European Union is looking to become a major player in the upcoming quantum revolution, reaping benefits both for technology development and wealth creation for the European society.
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Commentary |
Accelerating advanced-materials commercialization
Long commercialization times, high capital costs and sustained uncertainty deter investment in innovation for advanced materials. With appropriate strategies, technology and market uncertainties can be reduced, and the commercialization of advanced materials accelerated.
- Elicia Maine
- & Purnesh Seegopaul
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Editorial |
Nurturing entrepreneurship
The Innovation Forum on Quantum Technologies aims to help academics start technology companies.
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Editorial |
Innovating a way out
The ongoing European Union fiscal crisis has taken its toll on research and innovation across several member states. A number of initiatives aim to boost technological innovation as a tool for increasing wealth.
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Interview |
The British route to innovation
Richard Murray of Innovate UK explains to Nature Materials how innovation derived from research findings can boost the production of wealth.
- Maria Maragkou
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Interview |
Reworking Greek research
Costas Fotakis, the Greek Alternate Minister for Research and Innovation, explains to Nature Materials how he plans to improve the country's research and innovation landscape under the constraints of austerity.
- Maria Maragkou
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Editorial |
Fuelling discovery by sharing
The United States Materials Genome Initiative aims at accelerating the discovery, development and deployment of materials. Yet, finding data standards and sharing practices that can be leveraged by the disparate communities in materials science and technology may prove difficult.
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Interview |
Stretching the boundaries
Tom Waller of swimwear manufacturer Speedo's global research and development facility, Aqualab, talked to Nature Materials about the competitive sporting goods industry and the technology behind their new racing system that will be put to the test at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
- Christian Martin
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Commentary |
Materials and technology in sport
An evolution from natural to highly engineered materials has drastically changed the way in which athletes train and compete. Thanks to challenging technological problems and unconventional commercialization pathways, universities can make a direct impact on the development of sporting goods.
- Mike Caine
- , Kim Blair
- & Mike Vasquez
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Editorial |
The scientific marketplace
To ensure that their work gets the funding and the attention it deserves, scientists need to engage with different stakeholders. Concepts from marketing could help them increase the impact of their efforts.
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Interview |
The m word
Marc Kuchner, an astrophysicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and author of a blog and a recent book titled Marketing for Scientists, talked to Nature Materials about his views on the progress of scientific business from Versailles in the 1700s to modern days.
- Christian Martin
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Editorial |
Patents pending
Technology-transfer activities have surged since the 1980s, but only few inventions are bound to become a commercial success. Academic patenting requires professional strategies and should be motivated by goals beyond licensing revenue.
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Commentary |
Exploiting carbon flatland
Seven years after isolation of the first graphene sheets, an analysis of the densely populated patent landscape around the two-dimensional material reveals striking differences between universities' patenting activities and illustrates the challenges of a fast-moving technology space.
- Quentin Tannock
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Commentary |
Science and technology in Mexico
Mexico's economy is doing relatively well, but its science is chronically under-supported and the country's technological dependence is increasing rapidly. Without a strong science and technology base, the nation's future is at risk.
- Arturo Menchaca-Rocha