The collaborative project was revealed at a joint media conference in Zurich by Prof. Ralph Eichler, President of ETH Zurich, and John E. Kelly III, Senior Vice-President and Director of IBM Research.

"This nanotech lab will have a strong value-add, not only for the participating institutions, but for Swiss industry as a whole", stated Professor Ralph Eichler, "as we are open to collaborations with Swiss companies and research institutes." With EMPA - the Swiss interdisciplinary research institution for material sciences and technology development - one additional partner for collaboration is already involved. The collaboration brings with it considerable potential for the creation of new production techniques from which Switzerland, with its sizeable community of SMEs, will profit.

The nanotech lab will make world-beating research possible, but the partnership itself is also innovative. "By creating this common research center, IBM is expanding a collaborative and co-operative research programme aimed at accelerating our understanding and implementation of nanotechnology and its broad range of applications", stated Dr. Kelly. "We see this type of collaboration as an emerging model for future industry-academic partnerships."

The two institutions will focus on research in various fields of nanotechnology, ranging from exploratory and basic research to applied and near-term projects. Several areas for joint research projects have been identified, such as carbon-based materials, nano-photonics, spintronics, nanowires, and tribology. The novel concept of a shared re-search facility with more than 900 m2 of cleanroom area will be built in the nanotech lab with three sections: one each for exclusive use by IBM and ETH Zurich, as well as an area that both partners will share.

The costs of the new building amount to 90 million USD, of which 30 million USD alone will be dedicated to cutting-edge infrastructure. The partners will share expenditure for infrastructure; the building investment itself will be undertaken by IBM. ETH Zurich will rent the space and share the operations costs with IBM. The strategic partnership is intended to be in place for at least 10 years. Apart from joint research activities each partner institution is free to pursue its own projects.

For ETH Zurich the new Nanotech Lab on the IBM campus at Rüschlikon is a perfect complement to the existing research infrastructure at ETH Zurich Hönggerberg and city-located sites. An important aspect of the new centre is the unique opportunity for ETH Zurich students to pursue their research in close collaboration with an industrial partner, which is an important asset in ETH Zurich's engineering education.

Today numerous products based on nanotechnology are on the market already, and many more are being developed. Nanotechnology defines a technology that utilizes functions at an extraordinarily small-size scale. It focuses on structures and processes in dimensions below 100 nanometers - approximately 400 times thinner than a human hair. At the scale of nanometers, many fundamental processes of biology, chemistry and physics occur and can be controlled in unprecedented ways, offering astonishing new perspectives in many disciplines.

Nanotechnology is an enabling technology which is expected to spark advances in various fields. These include advanced functional materials, nano-electronics, information and communication technology, sensing, tools, health care and life sciences, and energy technology. In particular, nanotech applications in the energy sector, such as more efficient use of solar energy, or new ways of water treatment, might even help to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time.