ICONO 12- ICOPE 2011 showcase Ireland in nano research

The well-known and long established international conference on organic photonics and nanoelectronics, ICONO 12 –ICOPE 2011, continues today in TCD’s School of Physics. Over 100 delegates from over 20 countries, mainly from the Far East and the USA, are attending the four-day event.

Prof Werner Blau, School of Physics and CRANN Investigator, is the local organiser and said, “The conference has been a huge success so far. The schedule of talks reads like a ‘who-is-who’ in the field and it is at the very highest technical level. We are delighted that it is taking place here in Trinity College”.

He continued, “The offer by the International Advisory Board to bring ICONO/ICOPE to Dublin in 2011 represents recognition of Ireland as a location for advanced research and industrial development in this high-tech area. The choice also represents an international recognition of the scientific achievements of Irish researchers active in the field.”

Organic Electronics and Optoelectronics is a sub-discipline of both Materials Science and Nanotechnology. A Thomson-Reuters report in late 2010 placed Ireland 8th globally for materials science research based on citations per publication for the decade 2000—2010. CRANN researchers were responsible for > 70% of the outputs leading to this national ranking.  In nanotechnology, Ireland's global ranking is sixth in terms of both the quality of its publications and the volume output per capita.

Presentations at the conference have highlighted enormous progress in the applications of organic nanomaterials particularly in the ICT, renewable energy and medical sectors. Delegates learned of developments from around in world in explosives and landmine detection; artificial retina replacements to restore sight; efficient low-cost flexible solar cells and printable plastic electronics and low weight/low cost displays. ICONO/ICOPE is showcasing Ireland globally as leading player in the field, both scientifically and industrially, and is timely in the run up to the City of Science 2012 in Dublin.

Financial support was received from Failte Ireland, SFI and CRANN.

www.iconoicopedublin.com

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