Making the most of the appliance of science

Oct 8 2009 by Stewart Watkins, The Journal

EVERY year as the nights draw in and the weather turns colder, we know that awards season can’t be far away.

And this week winners are being chosen for some of the most illustrious prizes of all - the Man Booker prize for literature and the Nobel prizes.

Arguably the most prestigious prizes of all, winners of the Nobel prizes will join an elite group that includes the Dalai Lama, Rudyard Kipling, Marie Curie and Einstein and recognises some of the most outstanding and groundbreaking work being done by humankind.

This year the winners include three American scientists who have made breakthroughs in their research on human chromosomes, and a physicist who helped develop fibre optic cables which are now ubiquitous and essential to modern communications.

It is true that many of the advances singled out for recognition can initially seem unfathomable to most of us. But these awards exemplify the incredible breakthroughs being made by humankind and without which much of our modern lives would not be possible.

Making the initial breakthrough is a momentous event, but it is important to take the next step and develop a brilliant idea into a commercial product. We’re fortunate in this region to have one of the fastest developing science parks in the country dedicated to commercialising this kind of research.

NETPark is an example of what can be achieved through science and how its application can help make our lives better.

Companies such as ANTnano, based at NETPark, which makes equipment capable of detecting and filtering unknown airborne particles from a particular environment, have huge potential in the commercial or industrial sectors.

Equally Roar Particles, also based at NETPark, is involved in the research, development and manufacture of nanotechnology particles to help with forensics and counter-terrorism.

Companies such as these demonstrate the huge positive impact that science can have on our lives.

So while the Nobel announcements will grab some welcome headlines for science and cast the spotlight on the impressive work being done, we should not dismiss these prizes simply as intellectual distinctions reserved for those in labs and libraries. Instead we should recognise the contributions being made by scientists to developing and improving our lives.

Stewart Watkins is managing director of the County Durham Development Company