Despite enormous potential that nanotechnology can hold for developing Africa, the continent is slow in implementing it. Reports say that the African continent has the basic infrastructure but lacks focus and consolidation of efforts. This proposed bootcamp aims at consolidating efforts to raise the awareness of nanotechnology and its potential industrial applications by offering training on both Nanotechnology and Entrepreneurship.

The training will be offered to:
– science and engineering graduates wishing to pursue a career in nanotechnology
– graduates enrolled in a nanotechnology program and wishing to gain entrepreneurship skills
– inventors in the field of nanotechnology who wish to learn how to employ their inventions
– startup owners seeking gaining more skills in the fields of nanotechnology and entrepreneurship.

Nanotechnology became one of the strongest fields of research since the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981, because converting materials to be in the nanoscale leads to significant changes in their properties. These changes lead to new phenomena, which helps scientists to develop new applications in some of the most critical fields, such as medicine, energy, agriculture, and water, in addition to improving the ability to trigger critical issues such as climate change. This would make a significant impact on societies. The field of nanotechnology became vast enough to be at the interface between all major natural science disciplines.

Several industrial sectors can heavily implement nanotechnology such as: electronic and optoelectronic fields, food technology, renewable energy, and medical products such as pharmaceuticals and drug delivery systems, diagnostics and medical technologies. Nanotechnology-based products can also offer novel techniques to detect environmental risks and to reduce of environmental pollution.

The results of this bootcamp will be used to build on further in developing a nanotechnology programme that can be the seed to help the continent to implement nanotechnology in solving critical issues in Africa, such as climate change, food, energy, agriculture, and health. The programme will strictly consider inclusive coverage from gender perspective.