North Carolina is hoping to enjoy the same economic returns from nanotechnology as it has from biotechnology investments during the past 30 years, according to science experts at the second annual North Carolina Nanotech Conference.

"Thirty years ago North Carolina did not have a biotechnology cluster," said Robert McMahan, senior advisor on science and technology to the governor of North Carolina.

"Now it is the third largest biotechnology state with more than 350 bioscience companies."

McMahan explained that a shift is occuring in the biopharmaceutical field from a single focus, single domain dominance to broad based disciplines.

"The life sciences cluster will shift from things you take, to things that tell you what to take, i.e. the diagnostics that support preventive medicine," he said.

Paul Clayson, chairman and chief executive of nCoat, a manufacturer of protective coatings with nano-scale particulates, added: "The key to dominance in the future nanotech economy is to commercialise products now and get the jobs on the ground ahead of competing states and international economies.

"Governments can accelerate the rate of immediate commercialisation by aggressively promoting rapid and easy technology transfer from its research institutions rather than getting caught in a 'never finished' syndrome.

"Every nanotech research institution needs a salesperson seeking daily to transfer nanotech intellectual property to existing businesses or recruiting idle entrepreneurs to take the ideas forward."