Facilitating Nanotechnology: Collaboration, User Dreams and Limited Budgets

The definition of facilitate is "to make easy or easier", to be of use, and to increase the likelihood of a response. This is the reason why we are all here today at the UGIM Symposium- to make nanotechnolgy easier with our collaboration and sharing our dreams. Most of us are also here to find out how to do more on limited budgets, or in limited time. This keynote will explore the opportunity to facilitate nanotechnology by providing the right environment for collaboration, enabling users to dream and achieve results, and to do this work within the limits of the relevant financial constraints. We also use the word "facilities" to describe the very buildings and physical systems in which technologists work. This talk will describe approaches to facilities design that will enhance collaboration and interaction, enable users to develop new and exciting nanotechnology and to make satisfactory compromises to ensure world class results with limited budgets.