Since writing my first book on nanotechnology, ”The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business,”
I have followed the emerging field of nanotechnology quite closely. As I
have often written on these pages, IBM is one of the most impressive
players in the field. And, if anything, the pace of the company’s
activity in the field has only accelerated in recent years.
To this end, yesterday “Big Blue” announced it was creating a new nanotechnology center in Egypt and today it announced a similar center in Bulgaria.
Now, the creation of such centers may not appear like much but I’d
argue that IBM is doing itself an immense favor by exposing itself to
foreign scientists who might view things from a different perspective.
Like every other field, nanotechnology can fall prey to “groupthink.”
One strategy for defeating conventional thinking is to employ scientists
from different areas—which is precisely what IBM is doing. It is just
one reason why I believe IBM will continue to “jump the curve.”
Related posts on nanotechnology by Jack Uldrich
15 Ways Nanotechnology is Already Making Your Life Better
Nanotechnology & The Future of the Cellphone
Nanotechnology and the Changing Face of the Electric Utility Industry
