Value of nano-tech in COVID-19 vaccine research tops 1 trillion yuan

Nano economy has broad market prospects and its value in the COVID-19 vaccine research market alone may have so far exceeded one trillion yuan, Zhao Yuliang, a leading figure of nanotechnology, said during a media interview at the Greater-bay Science Forum held in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, on Dec 11, 2021.

Zhao and his team have established China’s first laboratory on nano biological safety, systematized the knowledge about the nano sector, and developed the country’s first "DNA nano robot" that can work in a living body.

Below are questions and answers of the interview with Zhao, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of the National Institute of Nanotechnology Innovation of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Q: What industries and fields will the nano economy first affect? It is reported that the global nano market value may exceed $200 billion by 2025. What do you think of the predicted data?

A: Nanotechnology is not only a new engine to promote scientific development, but is also closely related to our future life. Nanotechnology has a wide range of applications, including the fields of new materials, metamaterials, intelligent technology, aerospace, and energy and environment. Sensors is the foundation for building an intelligent society. The core components of the sensors have been produced through means of processing based on nanotechnology, including the methods for detection and measurement. And most of the sensitive materials used in making the sensors are nanomaterials. In this case, nanotechnology has laid a key foundation and is the underlying technology support for us to enter the intelligent era.

In the past 20 years, 89 percent of the 960 most significant scientific research projects in the world were related to nanotechnology, according to data released in 2021. The amazing figure revealed the fact that nanotechnology involves and affects a wide range of fields.

The market value of nano economy would far exceed $200 billion in 2025. In the medical field, for example, mRNA, a vaccine for COVID-19, has been developed through successful transformation of a nanotech research achievement. The market value of the new vaccine product may have already exceeded one trillion yuan. 

Q: What is the current level of nanotechnology in China? Where will the future go?

A: China is at the top rank in basic nano science and technology research in the world. Its research teams enjoy global influence and their basic research results, including indices and parameters, are at a leading and advanced international level.

However, China may lag behind a little bit in terms of nanotechnology industrialization. Therefore, we have established the National Institute of Nanotechnology Innovation in the Greater Bay Area, to promote transformation of the achievements of China's basic nanotech research into industrial products to benefit the general public. 

Q: How will the scientific and technological research and development of nanomaterials and the transformation of relevant achievements be realized, under the condition that the industrial chains and supply chains are independent and controllable?

A: This is an important issue of concern. China has made continuous investment in scientific and technological research and development for only 40 years. Compared to the  technologically  advanced countries which have a history of over 400 years in scientific and technological development, we are developing too fast. So now China is facing a problem -– it needs to improve its scientific and technological innovation chain which is not yet complete.

China has built a leading chain of basic scientific and technological research and innovation  in the world, with universities and institutes as the main players, and a strong chain engaged in manufacturing and marketing, with industrial enterprises as the main players. But we need to make greater efforts to transform basic research achievements into real technologies, products, and productivity.

Q: What made you leave Zhongguancun in Beijing to serve as the president of the National Nanotechnology Institute in Guangzhou? What advantages does Guangzhou have in scientific research that have especially impressed you?

A: Zhongguancun is a place with the highest concentration of scientific, technological and intellectual resources in China. What impressed me most since my arrival in Guangzhou, is people’s thirst for science, technology here. It is also a place with high efficiency. This is an important reason why I chose the Greater Bay Area as a destination to industrialize research achievements of nano science and technology.

Q: What will be the latest progress to be made by the "China Nano Valley" led by you?

A: "China Nano Valley", located in the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City in Huangpu District, Guangzhou, is gathering three industrial clusters that highlight the intelligent technology industry, nano biomedicine industry and super composite industry related to nano materials and smart materials. We hope to build it into a highland for global scientific and technological innovation, cultivate and incubate a number of high-tech innovation enterprises.