New Technologies

Leading the Way to the Next Frontier

The emerging fields of commercial nanotechology and information/biotechnology are real-world examples of the unique forces at work in Silicon Valley. To flourish, these promising fields require a climate that brings together the brightest minds, leading-edge technologies, and out-of-the-box thinking. In the Valley, this creative mix is fueled by a highly educated workforce, a wealth of business resources, entrepreneurial support structures, and a unique agility to operate at the speed of innovation.

The Next Frontiers

Convergence of Information Technology and Biotechology

As the cradle of information technology, and as the home to more public bioscience companies than any other region in the

United States, Silicon Valley is fertile ground for the marriage of information technology and biotechnology. Because of the region‘s critical mass and etensive formal and informal linkages, Valley companies are rapidly pioneering new hybrid technologies such as bioinformatics, biomaterials, and biochips. That’s one reason why local venture capital investment in this convergence area has surged by 70 percent.

Some Silicon Valley Companies on the Cutting Edge

  • Nanogen is accelerating analysis of genetic samples for research and clinical applications.
  • Landec is developing biomaterials for time-release seeds.
  • Genecore is working on biological optical switches.
  • Affymetrix is creating biochips from hybrid bits of DNA rather than transistors.

Commercialization of Nanotechnology

Fueled by a 50-percent jump in government funding through the National Nanotechnology Initiative of 2000, nanotechnology is mining commercially viable products at the molecular and atomic level. As an early adherent to Moore’s Law, Silicon Valley has a long history of success with the quest for ever-decreasing scales of size. This pursuit is delivering several viable nano-products, including new materials, atomic modeling, analytical tools, nano-devices, nano-chips, and nano-biotechnology.

Leading Edge Work from Silicon Valley

  • In 1989, Don Eigler, a researcher at IBM's Almaden Research center, spelled “IBM” with 35 xenon atoms.
  • Hewlett-Packard has patented technology to create nano-chips from individual molecules.
  • IBM has developed Millipede, a data storage technology operating at the nano scale.
  • Gilead Sciences has developed 1,000-nanometer spheres to encase anticancer drugs.
  • Intel is designing nano-level microprocessor chips.
  • Applied Materials is building nano-chips.