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4. MICROMANUFACTURING RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
In general, R&D infrastructures and governmental support are key factors for promoting technological and industrial competitiveness of a country. In the case of microtechnologies, this is even truer when considering the deeply rooted risk in this sector and the need for basic research.
Considering the three main world economic regions Europe, USA and Japan with respect to microtechnologies, they differ considerably in the areas of research policy, application level and market penetration.
USA and Japan appear to have recognised ahead of Europe the importance of micro and nano technologies as the engine for the growth of their industrial system. In the case of nanotechnologies in particular, the efforts of USA and Japan have been significantly more intense, especially in the USA leading various fields of application.
Table 2.2 Summary of the relative status of international micromanufacturing technology development (2005) [11] |
However, emphasis on micromanufacturing R&D is lagging far behind in USA compared with the rest of the world despite the previously realised vast investment. This will undoubtedly have serious long-term implications, since it is well-recognised that micromanufacturing will be a critical enabling technology in bridging the gap between nano-science and technology developments, and their realization in useful products and processes.
