ICONN 2024 Spotlight: Innovate
Hosted by ANFF and the Australian Nanotechnology Network, ICONN 2024 is exploring the deep pipelines we require to translate nanoscience research into high impact commercial products and services.
The first day of ICONN 2024 focused on Innovation. Sessions explored how fundamental research and development build our insights and develop breakthrough science and engineering, as well as the tools to characterise and fabricate new materials, systems and devices.
The morning session featured the Jim Williams Plenary Lecture, named in honor of Australia National University Emeritus Prof Jim Williams AO FAA FTSE. Prof Williams is a physicist recognised internationally for his pioneering research in materials science, nanotechnology, ion-solid interactions and semiconductor processing. A long-standing Fellow of the Australia Academy of Science, he was awarded the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to the physical sciences, to tertiary education and to professional scientific organisations. In 2022, Prof Williams won the 2022 Australian Institute of Physics Harrie Massey Medal for outstanding contributions to physics in Australia.
The Jim Williams Plenary Lecture was delivered by Northwestern University Prof Teri Odom, who is the Editor-in-Chief of Nano Letters. Her presentation on ‘Designer Material Metasurfaces’ focused on the design of structured nanoscale materials with exceptional properties, making precious metals more precious by tuning their size and shape and turning ordinary materials into extraordinary ones by controlling their architectures.
Speakers from around the globe shared their insights and innovations with concurrent sessions in areas such as therapeutics & imaging, electronic materials, nanophotonics, energy storage & conversion, biomaterials, and modelling for nanomaterials.
Among those speakers was Monash University Prof Nicolas Voelcker, Node Director of our ANFF-VIC Node, who presented his research on wearable biosensors.
At ICONN 2024, participants and attendees truly are taking a journey into the amazing world of nanoscience and nanotechnology.
