Bren School Corporate Partners Summit

May 7-8, 2009

  “Environmental Applications and Implications of Nanomaterials”

Nanotechnology is the science of the super-small. Involving particles that are a million times smaller than the head of a pin, nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter at the scale of atoms and molecules to create new materials and products. The changes in structure and behavior that materials undergo at the nanoscale lead to a wide variety of applications; currently, more than six hundred nanotechnology-enabled products are on the market, and the number is rising exponentially over time. From improvements in everyday consumer goods to the promise of breakthroughs in medicine and energy, engineered nanoparticles have the potential to produce extraordinary societal benefits.

Yet for all their promise, little is known about the health and environmental risks that may be associated with nanoparticles. There is, therefore, a pressing need to understand and anticipate how these new materials will affect the environment. With nanotechnology in its infancy, now is the time for science and industry to take the necessary steps to ensure that nanomaterials do not become environmental liabilities. This exciting and important topic – the applications and implications of nanotechnology – will be the focus of the 2009 Bren School Corporate Partners Summit.

Free to all Corporate Partners, the Summit is a tremendous opportunity to join top executives, scientists, and other environmental leaders at a dynamic round-table discussion of the business opportunities and environmental challenges associated with nanotechnology. Participants have the chance to interact with Bren School faculty, students, alumni, Corporate Partners, and friends of the school.