Nano Korea

Because all eyes have been focused on North Korea, you may not have heard that the South Korean government is launching a plan to make Korea a contender in the hot nanotechnology race. The South Korean Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy has announced a 200 billion won (about U.S.$167,000,000) investment through 2007 to create a nanotechnology cluster comprising a technology center, college and businesses.

South Korea invested 203 billion won (about U.S.$150 million) in nanotechnology last year, according to a report by Nanoelectronicsplanet.com. This was a 98% increase over the previous year. Korea has a 10-year plan to become a strong international nanotechnology competitor.