10 Most Advanced Countries in Nanotechnology

Technology is advancing at lightening speeds, and if you have a science-minded brain, take a look at our list of the most advanced countries in nanotechnology that are changing the way the world functions.

While I am forever intrigued by science and technology, it’s not something that I would say I’m “good” at. By that, I basically mean that most scientific terms and methods go over my head. In school, I had to take classes in biology and chemistry, but I hardly remember anything from them, and it’s a miracle that I passed and made it out of those classes. However, science and technology play an enormous role in our day-to-day lives. Whether it’s the electronics we use for our jobs or lifestyles each day, the cars we drive, or the food we eat, science plays some role in the production. As technology continues to advance at rapid rates, especially when it comes to electronics, it seems there is a goal to make everything smaller while more efficient and faster than ever. With this goal, nanotechnology comes into play.

Though it’s a very complex field, in simplest forms, nanotechnology is the study of extremely small things. According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative, nanotechnology can be used in a variety of fields ranging from chemistry to engineering. And speaking of engineering don’t miss reading about Most Advanced Countries in Engineering. Nanotechnology helps improve products or inventions to result in high-end functions. All over the world, just as in any science and technology focuses, countries are competing with one another to see who can become the best in the field. This makes sense as it is such a vital part of the world and society as we know it.

There are countries who spend significant amounts of money to support this type of research and projects. StatNano shows countries who have the highest number of released articles on nanotechnology. We also used Azo Nano, that provides loads of information on nanotechnology and its market. With the help of nanotechnology and further studies, scientists may even prevent diseases in the future which are, at the moment, hard to cure or impossible to cure. With this advanced kind of technology, there are more in store to discover and build.

10. Russia

Nanotechnology articles released by Russia in 2016 reached around 4,840.  The country even has 30 nanotechnology organizations. The Gross Domestic Product derived from the purchasing power calculations of the industry in 2015 was around $3.6 million. Their nanotechnology organizations range in focus from infrastructure and education to biomedical.

9. United Kingdom

In 2015, the UK‘s industry Gross Domestic Product derived from the purchasing power parity calculations of the industry was $2.7 million, while there were 5,522 released nanotechnology articles. Their most well-known organization is probably the London Centre for Nanotechnology which employs a staff of 130 scientists.

8. France

France released 5,827 nanotechnology articles in 2016.  They had around 4,153 per million people who served as researchers in 2013. France has a number of nanotechnology organizations and companies, and even has a number of university programs that focus on nanotechnology research. In 2012, their researchers created nano-machines that mimic human muscles.

7. Japan

There are 38 nanotechnology organizations in Japan, one of the most advanced countries in nanotechnology, where the released nanotechnology related articles reached 7,552 in 2016.  In 2007, their government invested $800 million in their national nanotechnology program. Now, the country spends about $1 billion on the industry in a year.

6. Iran

In 2008, Iran’s research and development expenditures were 0.79% of the GDP. They published 8,306 nanotechnology related articles in 2016. The country continues to invest and spend in the field, in an attempt to climb the ranking ladder while competing with other major companies, and now has hundreds of nanoproducts on the market.

5. Germany

Ranked 3rd in 2012 in research and development expenditure, Germany takes number 5 on our list of most advanced countries in nanotechnology.  The country released 8,730 nano related articles in 2016. Their innovations in nanotechnology range in a number of daily products, from food to automobiles. Much of their innovation deals with environmentally friendly technology and products as well.

4. South Korea

South Korea published 9,103 nano-articles in 2016.  They have 58 organizations focusing on the field, which mostly include universities. Some of the country’s biggest exports include telecommunications equipment, electronics, oil, chemicals, and machinery. One of their most recent accomplishments includes a nanotech battery that reduces the charging time for electronic cars.

3. India

India‘s nano-articles released in 2016 reached 12,224.  They had 65 organizations and 15 published nanotechnologies patent applications in USPTO this March. The majority of their work focuses on silicon products.

2. The United States of America

24,582 nano-articles were published by the USA in 2016.  The country ranked 2nd in 2015 with around $18 million Gross Domestic Product derived from the purchasing power parity calculations of the industry. October 9 has even been declared as National Nano Day. Researchers are working on a number of products, including a “power suit” that features nanomaterials built into the garment’s fabric, with hopes to monitor patients or generate energy.

1. China

Coming in at number 1, with 51,552 published nano-articles, in 2016 is China. China also produced 168 nanotechnologies patent applications in USPTO this March. In 2015, the country’s researchers came up with nano-carrier drugs for pancreatic cancer according to Azo Nano.

This wraps up our list of the 10 most advanced countries in nanotechnology.