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116-521: Under the vision “Materials and Technologies for a Sustainable Future”, Empa has set itself the goal of developing solutions to priority problems facing industry and society, for example in the areas of energy, the environment, mobility, health and safety. In doing so, it is guided by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the needs of Swiss industry and society. Its research focus areas are nano-structured materials and technologies,

232-706: A big-picture view, with more emphasis on societal implications than engineering details. Nanomaterials can be classified in 0D, 1D, 2D and 3D nanomaterials . Dimensionality plays a major role in determining the characteristic of nanomaterials including physical , chemical , and biological characteristics. With the decrease in dimensionality, an increase in surface-to-volume ratio is observed. This indicates that smaller dimensional nanomaterials have higher surface area compared to 3D nanomaterials. Two dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have been extensively investigated for electronic , biomedical , drug delivery and biosensor applications. The atomic force microscope (AFM) and

348-488: A debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted. The concepts that seeded nanotechnology were first discussed in 1959 by physicist Richard Feynman in his talk There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom , in which he described the possibility of synthesis via direct manipulation of atoms. The term "nano-technology" was first used by Norio Taniguchi in 1974, though it

464-518: A decisive impact on SDG implementation, as well as the ultimate determination of whether the world is closer to realizing the SDGs by 2030. National and local governments use the indicators to measure own progress towards sustainable development, which they report in their voluntary national and local reviews. The indicators are now widely deployed at all levels of sustainability governance. As of 2023, there are 231 official indicators in use. Each target

580-437: A field in the 1980s occurred through the convergence of Drexler's theoretical and public work, which developed and popularized a conceptual framework, and high-visibility experimental advances that drew additional attention to the prospects. In the 1980s, two breakthroughs sparked the growth of nanotechnology. First, the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981 enabled visualization of individual atoms and bonds, and

696-729: A fuel catalyst. In the electric car industry, single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) address key lithium-ion battery challenges, including energy density, charge rate, service life, and cost. SWCNTs connect electrode particles during charge/discharge process, preventing battery premature degradation. Their exceptional ability to wrap active material particles enhanced electrical conductivity and physical properties, setting them apart multi-walled carbon nanotubes and carbon black. Further applications allow tennis balls to last longer, golf balls to fly straighter, and bowling balls to become more durable. Trousers and socks have been infused with nanotechnology to last longer and lower temperature in

812-436: A larger scale and come under the description of microtechnology . To put that scale in another context, the comparative size of a nanometer to a meter is the same as that of a marble to the size of the earth. Two main approaches are used in nanotechnology. In the "bottom-up" approach, materials and devices are built from molecular components which assemble themselves chemically by principles of molecular recognition . In

928-472: A manufacturing technology based on the mechanical functionality of these components (such as gears, bearings, motors, and structural members) that would enable programmable, positional assembly to atomic specification. The physics and engineering performance of exemplar designs were analyzed in Drexler's book Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation . In general, assembling devices on

1044-761: A protein . Thus, components can be designed to be complementary and mutually attractive so that they make a more complex and useful whole. Such bottom-up approaches should be capable of producing devices in parallel and be much cheaper than top-down methods, but could potentially be overwhelmed as the size and complexity of the desired assembly increases. Most useful structures require complex and thermodynamically unlikely arrangements of atoms. Nevertheless, many examples of self-assembly based on molecular recognition in exist in biology , most notably Watson–Crick basepairing and enzyme-substrate interactions. Molecular nanotechnology, sometimes called molecular manufacturing, concerns engineered nanosystems (nanoscale machines) operating on

1160-673: A public debate between Drexler and Smalley in 2001 and 2003. Meanwhile, commercial products based on advancements in nanoscale technologies began emerging. These products were limited to bulk applications of nanomaterials and did not involve atomic control of matter. Some examples include the Silver Nano platform for using silver nanoparticles as an antibacterial agent, nanoparticle -based sunscreens, carbon fiber strengthening using silica nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes for stain-resistant textiles. Governments moved to promote and fund research into nanotechnology, such as American

1276-557: A reduced reliance on the global plastic waste trade are other actions that might help meet the goal. SDG 13 is to: "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy." In 2021 to early 2023, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its Sixth Assessment Report which assesses scientific, technical, and socio-economic information concerning climate change. SDG 14

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1392-633: A significant influence over the indicator selection process. The indicator framework was comprehensively reviewed at the 51st session of the United Nations Statistical Commission in 2020. It will be reviewed again in 2025. At the 51st session of the Statistical Commission (held in New York City from 3 to 6 March 2020) a total of 36 changes to the global indicator framework were proposed for

1508-983: A surface with scanning probe microscopy techniques. Various techniques of lithography, such as optical lithography , X-ray lithography , dip pen lithography, electron beam lithography or nanoimprint lithography offer top-down fabrication techniques where a bulk material is reduced to a nano-scale pattern. Another group of nano-technological techniques include those used for fabrication of nanotubes and nanowires , those used in semiconductor fabrication such as deep ultraviolet lithography, electron beam lithography, focused ion beam machining, nanoimprint lithography, atomic layer deposition , and molecular vapor deposition , and further including molecular self-assembly techniques such as those employing di-block copolymers . In contrast, bottom-up techniques build or grow larger structures atom by atom or molecule by molecule. These techniques include chemical synthesis, self-assembly and positional assembly. Dual-polarization interferometry

1624-401: A useful conformation through a bottom-up approach. The concept of molecular recognition is important: molecules can be designed so that a specific configuration or arrangement is favored due to non-covalent intermolecular forces . The Watson–Crick basepairing rules are a direct result of this, as is the specificity of an enzyme targeting a single substrate , or the specific folding of

1740-463: A wide variety of useful chemicals such as pharmaceuticals or commercial polymers . This ability raises the question of extending this kind of control to the next-larger level, seeking methods to assemble single molecules into supramolecular assemblies consisting of many molecules arranged in a well-defined manner. These approaches utilize the concepts of molecular self-assembly and/or supramolecular chemistry to automatically arrange themselves into

1856-401: Is "CO 2 emissions per unit of value added." SDG 10 is to: "Reduce inequality within and among countries." Important indicators for this SDG are: income disparities, aspects of gender and disability, as well as policies for migration and mobility of people. SDG 11 is to: "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable." Important indicators for this goal are

1972-515: Is also an indicator around the facilities that the school buildings have (access to electricity, the internet, computers, drinking water, toilets etc.). SDG 5 is to: "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls." Indicators include, for example, having suitable legal frameworks and the representation by women in national parliament or in local deliberative bodies. Numbers on forced marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) are also included in another indicator. SDG 6

2088-507: Is also expressed in its slogan: “Empa - The Place where Innovation Starts”. Empa pursues a multidisciplinary approach - scientists and engineers from numerous disciplines work together on most projects. It also supports the two Swiss Federal Institutes (ETH) in Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne , as well as Swiss universities and universities of applied sciences, in their teaching activities and

2204-602: Is an annual week-long event in September for action, awareness, and accountability for the Sustainable Development Goals. It is a shared commitment for over 100 partners to ensure quick action on the SDGs by sharing ideas and transformative solutions to global problems. It first took place in 2016. It is often held concurrently with Climate Week NYC . The Arctic Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by HF Productions and supported by

2320-795: Is common to see the plural form "nanotechnologies" as well as "nanoscale technologies" to refer to research and applications whose common trait is scale. An earlier understanding of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal of precisely manipulating atoms and molecules for fabricating macroscale products, now referred to as molecular nanotechnology . Nanotechnology defined by scale includes fields of science such as surface science , organic chemistry , molecular biology , semiconductor physics , energy storage , engineering , microfabrication , and molecular engineering . The associated research and applications range from extensions of conventional device physics to molecular self-assembly , from developing new materials with dimensions on

2436-504: Is consistently geared to minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. Also in 2022, Empa strengthened and expanded its research activities in the field of quantum technology , including a grant of 15 million Swiss francs from the Werner Siemens Foundation to develop further carbon nanomaterials for future quantum technologies. Also in 2022, Empa decided to concentrate its research activities in four main research areas in

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2552-1059: Is controlled via changing voltage: a nanotube nanomotor , a molecular actuator, and a nanoelectromechanical relaxation oscillator. Ho and Lee at Cornell University in 1999 used a scanning tunneling microscope to move an individual carbon monoxide molecule (CO) to an individual iron atom (Fe) sitting on a flat silver crystal and chemically bound the CO to the Fe by applying a voltage. Many areas of science develop or study materials having unique properties arising from their nanoscale dimensions. The bottom-up approach seeks to arrange smaller components into more complex assemblies. These seek to create smaller devices by using larger ones to direct their assembly. Functional approaches seek to develop useful components without regard to how they might be assembled. These subfields seek to anticipate what inventions nanotechnology might yield, or attempt to propose an agenda along which inquiry could progress. These often take

2668-530: Is currently involved in 76 ongoing projects of the EU framework programs and almost 90 projects of Innosuisse, the Swiss agency for innovation promotion. The annual budget in 2022 was around CHF 107 million in direct federal funding and more than CHF 60 million in acquired third party funding. Empa's activities focus on application-oriented research and development, often in close partnership with industrial partners. This

2784-419: Is electricity from photovoltaic systems or hydroelectric power plants that fluctuates greatly over time and is not needed in the grid. This is then converted by the electrolysis of water first into hydrogen and in a further step into methane ( power-to-gas concept). As part of the opening of NEST, a third demonstration platform, the ehub (Energy Hub), went into operation in 2016. As a kind of control center,

2900-476: Is generally weak evidence linking the means of implementation to outcomes. The targets about means of implementation (those denoted with a letter, for example, Target 6.a) are imperfectly conceptualized and inconsistently formulated. Also, tracking their largely qualitative indicators is difficult. Indicators serve as the key tools for decision-makers to track progress towards the SDG targets. Therefore, they have

3016-558: Is intended to promote and support the establishment of innovative start-up companies in the Empa environment. It is the counterpart to “tebo”, which has existed at Empa in St. Gallen since 1996. Empa also significantly expanded its activities in photovoltaics . In addition, international cooperation with the world's leading materials research institutes was expanded through the establishment of WMRIF (World Materials Research Institute Forum), including

3132-633: Is involved in organizing scientific conferences and training and further education events through the Empa Academy. Conferences, lecture series, seminars and teaching events are aimed at scientists, experts from industry and business, but also at the general public, for example in the wissen2go event series. In 1880, the Institute for the Testing of Building Materials began its activities. Ludwig von Tetmajer , professor of building materials science,

3248-527: Is on structural and civil engineering, safety engineering, surface technology, metallic materials, material composites, non-destructive testing, chemical analyses, exhaust gas and outdoor air testing, building services, building physics, acoustics and noise abatement. 1988 marked a change in the direction of research. From then on, Empa was called the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research. In 1996, Empa moved into

3364-434: Is one tool suitable for characterization of self-assembled thin films. Another variation of the bottom-up approach is molecular-beam epitaxy or MBE. Researchers at Bell Telephone Laboratories including John R. Arthur . Alfred Y. Cho , and Art C. Gossard developed and implemented MBE as a research tool in the late 1960s and 1970s. Samples made by MBE were key to the discovery of the fractional quantum Hall effect for which

3480-489: Is particularly apparent in the Agenda 2030's core principle of “leaving no one behind”. For example, where the earlier Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed to “halve the proportion of people” suffering from hunger or “extreme poverty”, the SDGs aim to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere”. The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) website provides a current official indicator list which includes all updates until

3596-419: Is recognized as critical to overall success of the SDGs. The goal includes improving north–south and South–South cooperation. Public-private partnerships which involve civil societies are specifically mentioned. The 2030 Agenda did not create specific authority for communicating the SDGs; however, both international and local advocacy organizations have pursued significant non-state resources to communicate

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3712-663: Is still a slow process because of low velocity of the microscope. The top-down approach anticipates nanodevices that must be built piece by piece in stages, much as manufactured items are made. Scanning probe microscopy is an important technique both for characterization and synthesis. Atomic force microscopes and scanning tunneling microscopes can be used to look at surfaces and to move atoms around. By designing different tips for these microscopes, they can be used for carving out structures on surfaces and to help guide self-assembling structures. By using, for example, feature-oriented scanning approach, atoms or molecules can be moved around on

3828-403: Is the science and engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. In its original sense, nanotechnology refers to the projected ability to construct items from the bottom up making complete, high-performance products. One nanometer (nm) is one billionth, or 10 , of a meter. By comparison, typical carbon–carbon bond lengths , or the spacing between these atoms in a molecule , are in

3944-464: Is to facilitate thereby the upscaling of new technologies and processes for Swiss industry. With very similar objectives, the ETH Domain launched the strategic research area “advanced manufacturing (AM)” in 2017 under the leadership of Empa, which is intended to support Swiss industry in specifically exploiting the potential of digitalization and developing AM technologies. This gave rise in 2019 to

4060-429: Is to: "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development." The current efforts to protect oceans, marine environments and small-scale fishers are not meeting the need to protect the resources. Increased ocean temperatures and oxygen loss act concurrently with ocean acidification to constitute the deadly trio of climate change pressures on the marine environment. SDG 15

4176-594: Is to: "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture ." Indicators for this goal are for example the prevalence of diet, prevalence of severe food insecurity, and prevalence of stunting among children under five years of age. SDG 3 is to: "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." Important indicators here are life expectancy as well as child and maternal mortality. Further indicators are for example deaths from road traffic injuries, prevalence of current tobacco use, and suicide mortality rate. SDG 4

4292-513: Is to: "Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all." The Joint Monitoring Programme ( JMP ) of WHO and UNICEF is responsible for monitoring progress to achieve the first two targets of this goal. Important indicators for this goal are the percentages of the population that uses safely managed drinking water, and has access to safely managed sanitation. The JMP reported in 2017 that 4.5 billion people do not have safely managed sanitation . Another indicator looks at

4408-535: Is to: "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all." The indicators for this goal are, for example, attendance rates at primary schools, completion rates of primary school education, participation in tertiary education, and so forth. In each case, parity indices are looked at to ensure that disadvantaged students do not miss out (data is collected on "female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples" ). There

4524-732: Is to: "Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification , and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss ." The proportion of remaining forest area, desertification and species extinction risk are example indicators of this goal. SDG 16 is to: "Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels." Rates of birth registration and prevalence of bribery are two examples of indicators included in this goal. An inclusive society has "mechanisms to enable diversity and social justice, accommodate

4640-535: Is typically measured with only 1.5 indicators, which monitor quantifiable changes in proportion, rate, amount, and the like. 62% of the targets are supported by sole indicators, effectively equating progress measured on the 105 indicators with progress on the 105 targets. The SDGs rely on “high-quality, timely and reliable data”. Data needs to be “disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics”. This focus on particular groups and individuals

4756-546: The 1998 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded. MBE lays down atomically precise layers of atoms and, in the process, build up complex structures. Important for research on semiconductors, MBE is also widely used to make samples and devices for the newly emerging field of spintronics . Therapeutic products based on responsive nanomaterials , such as the highly deformable, stress-sensitive Transfersome vesicles, are approved for human use in some countries. As of August 21, 2008,

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4872-598: The 2030 Agenda . On 6 July 2017, the SDGs were made more actionable by a UNGA resolution that identifies specific targets for each goal and provides indicators to measure progress. Most targets are to be achieved by 2030, although some have no end date. There are cross-cutting issues and synergies between the different goals; for example, for SDG 13 on climate action, the IPCC sees robust synergies with SDGs 3 (health), 7 (clean energy), 11 (cities and communities), 12 (responsible consumption and production) and 14 (oceans). On

4988-591: The AM-TTC Alliance , the umbrella organization of Swiss technology transfer centers in the field of AM. The first such center to emerge in 2019 was the Swiss m4m Center in Bettlach, which develops processes for manufacturing 3D-printed implants in collaboration with the medtech sector. At the beginning of 2023, the network comprised three more TT centers. Also in 2019, Empa stepped up its research activities in

5104-462: The Inter-agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs). The choice of indicators was delegated to statisticians who met behind closed doors after the goals and targets were established. However, scholars have pointed out that the selection of indicators was never free from politics. Statisticians received instructions from their governments, and the interests of powerful governments had

5220-691: The National Nanotechnology Initiative , which formalized a size-based definition of nanotechnology and established research funding, and in Europe via the European Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development . By the mid-2000s scientific attention began to flourish. Nanotechnology roadmaps centered on atomically precise manipulation of matter and discussed existing and projected capabilities, goals, and applications. Nanotechnology

5336-655: The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies estimated that over 800 manufacturer-identified nanotech products were publicly available, with new ones hitting the market at a pace of 3–4 per week. Most applications are "first generation" passive nanomaterials that includes titanium dioxide in sunscreen, cosmetics, surface coatings, and some food products; Carbon allotropes used to produce gecko tape ; silver in food packaging , clothing, disinfectants, and household appliances; zinc oxide in sunscreens and cosmetics, surface coatings, paints and outdoor furniture varnishes; and cerium oxide as

5452-579: The Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) are two versions of scanning probes that are used for nano-scale observation. Other types of scanning probe microscopy have much higher resolution, since they are not limited by the wavelengths of sound or light. The tip of a scanning probe can also be used to manipulate nanostructures (positional assembly). Feature-oriented scanning may be a promising way to implement these nano-scale manipulations via an automatic algorithm . However, this

5568-592: The Swiss National Science Foundation  (SNSF) increased from 5 to over 100 during the same period, the number of doctoral students from 16 to more than 280; in addition, there are more than 230 bachelor and master students and interns. Third party funding also increased, from 34 million Swiss francs in 2000 to more than 60 million Swiss francs (2022), of which 49 million Swiss francs were raised through research proposals and nearly 11 million Swiss francs through services and consulting. Empa

5684-521: The Technion in order to increase youth interest in nanotechnology. One concern is the effect that industrial-scale manufacturing and use of nanomaterials will have on human health and the environment, as suggested by nanotoxicology research. For these reasons, some groups advocate that nanotechnology be regulated. However, regulation might stifle scientific research and the development of beneficial innovations. Public health research agencies, such as

5800-788: The " quantum size effect" in which the electronic properties of solids alter along with reductions in particle size. Such effects do not apply at macro or micro dimensions. However, quantum effects can become significant when nanometer scales. Additionally, physical (mechanical, electrical, optical, etc.) properties change versus macroscopic systems. One example is the increase in surface area to volume ratio altering mechanical, thermal, and catalytic properties of materials. Diffusion and reactions can be different as well. Systems with fast ion transport are referred to as nanoionics. The mechanical properties of nanosystems are of interest in research. Modern synthetic chemistry can prepare small molecules of almost any structure. These methods are used to manufacture

5916-581: The "backbone" of the NEST by 2015, construction on the first modules could begin. On May 23, 2016, the building was opened with two modules already installed. In subsequent years, additional units were steadily added; by the end of 2022, eight modules were in operation. Each of these building modules was realized together with research and industry partners. On the research side, ETH Zurich, EPF Lausanne, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts , and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , for example, have used

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6032-421: The "top-down" approach, nano-objects are constructed from larger entities without atomic-level control. Areas of physics such as nanoelectronics , nanomechanics , nanophotonics and nanoionics have evolved to provide nanotechnology's scientific foundation. Several phenomena become pronounced as system size. These include statistical mechanical effects, as well as quantum mechanical effects, for example,

6148-511: The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the associated 169 targets and 232 indicators. Nanotechnology Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale , surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing properties of matter. This definition of nanotechnology includes all types of research and technologies that deal with these special properties. It

6264-471: The 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry . C 60 was not initially described as nanotechnology; the term was used regarding subsequent work with related carbon nanotubes (sometimes called graphene tubes or Bucky tubes) which suggested potential applications for nanoscale electronics and devices. The discovery of carbon nanotubes is largely attributed to Sumio Iijima of NEC in 1991, for which Iijima won

6380-605: The 30-member UN General Assembly Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals was established to identify specific goals for the SDGs. The OWG submitted their proposal of 8 SDGs and 169 targets to the 68th session of the General Assembly in September 2014. On 5 December 2014, the UN General Assembly accepted the Secretary General's Synthesis Report, which stated that the agenda for

6496-530: The 51st session Statistical Commission in March 2020. The indicators for the targets have varying levels of methodological development and availability of data at the global level. Initially, some indicators (called Tier 3 indicators) had no internationally established methodology or standards. Later, the global indicator framework was adjusted so that Tier 3 indicators were either abandoned, replaced or refined. The indicators were developed and annually reviewed by

6612-593: The EU's eastward expansion, for example through numerous joint research projects and joint events such as the Swiss-Polish Science & Technology Days , which were held in Warsaw for the first time in 2010. Also in 2005, Empa celebrated its 125th anniversary together with 13,000 visitors under the motto “Research that inspires”. In 2008, Empa founded the business incubator glaTec in Dübendorf, which

6728-707: The Japanese National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), the US National Labs and various EU materials research laboratories. In 2010, Empa agreed new partnerships with various industrial partners in the areas of fuel cells, medtech applications and sustainable mobility concepts. In addition, activities within five “Research Focus Areas” were aligned even more stringently with Empa's core task of translating research and technology into marketable innovations. In 2011 and 2012, Empa participated extremely successfully with almost 25 projects in

6844-741: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which ended in 2015. In 1983, the United Nations created the World Commission on Environment and Development (later known as the Brundtland Commission), which defined sustainable development as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." In 1992, the first United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) or Earth Summit

6960-583: The NEST platform to date. The thematic focus of most of the units is on resource and energy efficiency — be it with cycle-compatible concepts and materials, with new (intelligent) energy concepts, or with new digital planning and construction methods that optimize the use of materials. Another demonstration and technology transfer platform in the mobility sector was presented back in 2015: move. This makes it possible to develop mobility concepts without fossil fuels and to test them in practice — from electromobility to hydrogen and synthetic fuels . The energy source

7076-618: The SDGS. UN agencies which are part of the United Nations Development Group decided to support an independent campaign to communicate the new SDGs to a wider audience. This campaign, Project Everyone, had the support of corporate institutions and other international organizations . Using the text drafted by diplomats at the UN level, a team of communication specialists developed icons for every goal. They also shortened

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7192-566: The SDGs in 2015 as a "supremely ambitious and transformative vision" that should be accompanied by "bold and transformative steps" with "scale and ambition". The SDGs are "unique and special, at least in five dimensions". Firstly, they apply to all countries of the world, not just developing countries like the Millennium Development Goals (from the year 2000 to 2015) did. Secondly, they target all three dimensions of sustainability and sustainable development , namely

7308-461: The SDGs' Partnership Platform. Held for the first time in 2019, the festival is expected to take place every year in September in Longyearbyen , Svalbard , Norway. The Post-2015 Development Agenda was a process from 2012 to 2015 led by the United Nations to define the future global development framework that would succeed the Millennium Development Goals . The SDGs were developed to succeed

7424-490: The Sustainable Development Goals that the convention has addressed. In 2019 and then in 2021, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed 17 SDG advocates . The role of the public figures is to raise awareness, inspire greater ambition, and push for faster action on the SDGs. The co-chairs are: Mia Mottley , Prime Minister of Barbados and Justin Trudeau , Prime Minister of Canada . Global Goals Week

7540-750: The United Nations' High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), an annual forum held under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council . However, the HLPF comes with its own set of problems due to a lack of political leadership and divergent national interests . To facilitate monitoring of progress on SDG implementation, the online SDG Tracker was launched in June 2018 to present all available data across all indicators. The COVID-19 pandemic had serious negative impacts on all 17 SDGs in 2020. A scientific assessment of

7656-482: The ability to make existing medical applications cheaper and easier to use in places like the doctors' offices and at homes. Cars use nanomaterials in such ways that car parts require fewer metals during manufacturing and less fuel to operate in the future. Nanoencapsulation involves the enclosure of active substances within carriers. Typically, these carriers offer advantages, such as enhanced bioavailability, controlled release, targeted delivery, and protection of

7772-780: The atomic scale requires positioning atoms on other atoms of comparable size and stickiness. Carlo Montemagno 's view is that future nanosystems will be hybrids of silicon technology and biological molecular machines. Richard Smalley argued that mechanosynthesis was impossible due to difficulties in mechanically manipulating individual molecules. This led to an exchange of letters in the ACS publication Chemical & Engineering News in 2003. Though biology clearly demonstrates that molecular machines are possible, non-biological molecular machines remained in their infancy. Alex Zettl and colleagues at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories and UC Berkeley constructed at least three molecular devices whose motion

7888-584: The battery sector and, among other things, entered into a strategic partnership with the Fraunhofer Society to create the basis for a production-ready next generation of traction batteries for electric cars. In the same year, the Sustainability Robotics Lab was established at Empa in Dübendorf in cooperation with Imperial College London to develop novel materials for robotic systems used in environmental monitoring and in

8004-470: The built environment, energy, resources and emissions, and health and performance. The change from materials testing to research institution is also reflected in the name: Since 1988, Empa has officially been called the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research . Since 2001, the change in strategy has become increasingly visible: the number of scientific publications rose from 67 in 2001 to around 870 in 2022. The number of projects funded by

8120-464: The commission's consideration. Some indicators were replaced, revised or deleted. Between 15 October 2018 and 17 April 2020, other changes were made to the indicators. Yet their measurement continues to be fraught with difficulties. For each indicator, the Inter-Agency and Expert Group tried to designate at least one custodian agency and focal point that would be responsible for developing

8236-832: The connections between the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainable development . Sustainability is at the center of the SDGs, as the term sustainable development implies. The short titles of the 17 SDGs are: No poverty ( SDG 1 ), Zero hunger ( SDG 2 ), Good health and well-being ( SDG 3 ), Quality education ( SDG 4 ), Gender equality ( SDG 5 ), Clean water and sanitation ( SDG 6 ), Affordable and clean energy ( SDG 7 ), Decent work and economic growth ( SDG 8 ), Industry, innovation and infrastructure ( SDG 9 ), Reduced inequalities ( SDG 10 ), Sustainable cities and communities ( SDG 11 ), Responsible consumption and production ( SDG 12 ), Climate action ( SDG 13 ), Life below water ( SDG 14 ), Life on land ( SDG 15 ), Peace, justice, and strong institutions ( SDG 16 ), and Partnerships for

8352-417: The custodian agency for 20 of them and was involved in the development and monitoring of another 22. SDG 1 is to: "End poverty in all its forms everywhere." Achieving SDG 1 would end extreme poverty globally by 2030. One of its indicators is the proportion of population living below the poverty line . The data gets analyzed by sex, age, employment status, and geographical location (urban/rural). SDG 2

8468-685: The development and analysis of nanostructured surfaces and coatings. In 2005, Empa founded the International PhD School Switzerland – Poland together with the Warsaw University of Technology and the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow. This cooperation with the new EU member states has intensified within the framework of the so-called “cohesion billion”, Switzerland's contribution to

8584-400: The ehub coordinates and controls the energy flows between NEST and move with the various energy users and sources and thus simultaneously connects the mobility sector with the building sector (so-called sector coupling). The ehub is thus intended to ensure an optimized energy supply, especially under the sign of temporally highly fluctuating energy sources such as solar and wind power. Therefore,

8700-641: The encapsulated substances. In the medical field, nanoencapsulation plays a significant role in drug delivery . It facilitates more efficient drug administration, reduces side effects, and increases treatment effectiveness. Nanoencapsulation is particularly useful for improving the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs, enabling controlled and sustained drug release, and supporting the development of targeted therapies. These features collectively contribute to advancements in medical treatments and patient care. Nanotechnology may play role in tissue engineering . When designing scaffolds, researchers attempt to mimic

8816-506: The environmental, economic and social dimension. Thirdly, the development and negotiations of the SDGs were not "town down" by civil servants but were relatively open and transparent, aiming to include "bottom up" participation. Fourthly, the SDGs have been "institutionally embedded at a higher political level than earlier goals in development policy": A new forum, the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

8932-431: The field of energy research and promote synergies. Empa has taken on the leadership of one of these eight centers as a “Leading House” in the field of Future Energy-Efficient Buildings & Districts (FEEB&D), with the aim of reducing the energy consumption of the Swiss building stock by a factor of five by the year 2050. In 2014, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for NEST , a building concept designed to accelerate

9048-506: The future. 47°24′08″N 8°36′41″E  /  47.4022°N 8.6113°E  / 47.4022; 8.6113 Sustainable Development Goals The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , adopted by all United Nations (UN) members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ). The aim of these global goals is " peace and prosperity for people and the planet" – while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests. The SDGs highlight

9164-415: The global endeavor towards sustainable development. For example, there has long been a tendency to favor socio-economic objectives over environmental ones. Funding remains a critical issue for achieving the SDGs. Significant financial resources would be required worldwide. The United Nations, other international organizations , and national governments are trying to assist with funding efforts. Furthermore,

9280-404: The goals ( SDG 17 ). These goals are ambitious, and the reports and outcomes to date indicate a challenging path. Most, if not all, of the goals are unlikely to be met by 2030. Rising inequalities, climate change, and biodiversity loss are topics of concerns threatening progress. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to 2023 made these challenges worse. The pandemic impacted all 17 goals and emphasized

9396-610: The inaugural 2008 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience. In the early 2000s, the field garnered increased scientific, political, and commercial attention that led to both controversy and progress. Controversies emerged regarding the definitions and potential implications of nanotechnologies, exemplified by the Royal Society 's report on nanotechnology. Challenges were raised regarding the feasibility of applications envisioned by advocates of molecular nanotechnology, which culminated in

9512-772: The interconnectedness of global health, economic, social, and environmental challenges. Some regions, such as Asia, have experienced significant setbacks during that time. The global effort for the SDGs calls for prioritizing environmental sustainability, understanding the indivisible nature of the goals, and seeking synergies across sectors. With regards to the political impact of the SDGs, it has been observed that they have mainly influenced global and national debates. By doing so, they have led to discursive effects for global and national debates. However, they have struggled to achieve transformative changes in policy and institutional structures. The uneven prioritization of goals reflects longstanding national development policies. This complicates

9628-414: The labor force compared to men. SDG 9 is to: "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation." Indicators in this goal include for example, the proportion of people who are employed in manufacturing activities, are living in areas covered by a mobile network , or who have access to the internet. An indicator that is connected to climate change

9744-475: The maintenance of infrastructures that are difficult to access. In 2021, the national innovation platform Switzerland Innovation included the Innovation Park East, right next to the Empa site in St. Gallen, in its network. In 2022, Empa's start-up incubator, Startfeld, merged with Innovation Park East. In Dübendorf, Empa has laid the foundation stone for its new research campus co-operate , which

9860-497: The methodology, data collection, data aggregation, and later reporting. The division of indicators was primarily based on existing mandates and organizational capacity. For example, the World Bank established itself as a data gatekeeper in this process through its broad mandate, staff, budget, and expertise in large-scale data collection. The bank became formally involved in about 20 percent of all 231 SDG indicators; it served as

9976-443: The molecular scale. Molecular nanotechnology is especially associated with molecular assemblers , machines that can produce a desired structure or device atom-by-atom using the principles of mechanosynthesis . Manufacturing in the context of productive nanosystems is not related to conventional technologies used to manufacture nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles. When Drexler independently coined and popularized

10092-491: The name Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing was used for the first time. In 1937, the Swiss Textile Testing Institute in St. Gallen, which had been expanded in 1911, was added. Empa was given a new name: Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research for Industry, Building and Commerce. In 1962, Empa moved from Zurich to the suburb of Dübendorf . The focus there

10208-405: The nanoscale features of a cell 's microenvironment to direct its differentiation down a suitable lineage. For example, when creating scaffolds to support bone growth, researchers may mimic osteoclast resorption pits. Researchers used DNA origami -based nanobots capable of carrying out logic functions to target drug delivery in cockroaches. A nano bible (a .5mm2 silicon chip) was created by

10324-501: The nanoscale to direct control of matter on the atomic scale . Nanotechnology may be able to create new materials and devices with diverse applications , such as in nanomedicine , nanoelectronics , biomaterials energy production, and consumer products. However, nanotechnology raises issues, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics, as well as various doomsday scenarios . These concerns have led to

10440-447: The new building Im Moos at the St. Gallen site. Its activities focus on clothing physiology, personal protection systems, functional fibers and textiles, biocompatible materials, material and image modeling, and technology risk assessments. In 2001, Empa focused even more strongly on research and innovative developments; however, knowledge transfer and services remained an important part of

10556-465: The number of people living in urban slums, the proportion of the urban population who has convenient access to public transport, and the extent of built-up area per person. SDG 12 is to: "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns." One of the indicators is the number of national policy instruments to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns. Another one is global fossil fuel subsidies. An increase in domestic recycling and

10672-448: The other hand, critics and observers have also identified trade-offs between the goals, such as between ending hunger and promoting environmental sustainability. Furthermore, concerns have arisen over the high number of goals (compared to the eight Millennium Development Goals), leading to compounded trade-offs, a weak emphasis on environmental sustainability , and difficulties tracking qualitative indicators. The SDGs are monitored by

10788-673: The platform also has intermediate storage and conversion technologies for the different energy sources. In 2016, Empa opened its Coating Competence Center , where tailor-made surface technologies and advanced manufacturing (AM) processes are to find their way from the research laboratories to marketable industrial applications. The center houses diverse coating facilities for hard coatings, flexible photovoltaics and organic electronics, as well as 3D printers for metallic materials and biocomposites. The facilities are close to industry in terms of process technology, but have modifications that allow researchers to perform detailed process analysis. The aim

10904-479: The political impacts of the SDGs found in 2022 that the SDGs have only had limited transformative political impact thus far. At the very least, they have affected the way actors understand and communicate about sustainable development. On 25 September 2015, the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Development Agenda titled "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development." This agenda has 92 paragraphs. Paragraph 59 outlines

11020-624: The portfolio. An international research commission is set up to evaluate Empa's research activities at regular intervals. In 2003, nanotechnology came to Empa. The new nanotech@surfaces laboratory works on nanostructures, nanotubes as electron sources, and quasicrystalline layers. In Dübendorf, the Functional Polymers department was created. 2004, another new laboratory was established in Dübendorf: Nanoscale Materials Science . It focuses on

11136-629: The post-2015 SDG process would be based on the OWG proposals. In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) created the SDGs as part of the Post-2015 Development Agenda . This agenda sought to design a new global development framework, replacing the Millennium Development Goals, which were completed that same year. These goals were formally articulated and adopted in a UNGA resolution known as

11252-549: The process of negotiating the SDGs to address the concern of some Member States about how the SDGs were to be achieved. Goal 17 is wholly about how the SDGs will be achieved. The numbering system of targets is as follows: Outcome targets use numbers, whereas means of implementation targets use lower case letters. For example, SDG 6 has a total of 8 targets. The first six are outcome targets and are labeled Targets 6.1 to 6.6. The final two targets are means of implementation targets and are labeled as Targets 6.a and 6.b. However, there

11368-422: The proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater that is safely treated. SDG 7 is to "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all." One of the indicators for this goal is the percentage of population with access to electricity (progress in expanding access to electricity has been made in several countries, notably India , Bangladesh , and Kenya ). Other indicators look at

11484-516: The range 0.12–0.15 nm , and DNA 's diameter is around 2 nm. On the other hand, the smallest cellular life forms, the bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma , are around 200 nm in length. By convention, nanotechnology is taken as the scale range 1 to 100 nm , following the definition used by the American National Nanotechnology Initiative . The lower limit is set by the size of atoms (hydrogen has

11600-423: The renewable energy share and energy efficiency. SDG 8 is to: "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all." Important indicators for this goal include economic growth in least developed countries and the rate of real GDP per capita . Further examples are rates of youth unemployment and occupational injuries or the number of women engaged in

11716-547: The role of private investment and a shift towards sustainable financing are also essential for realizing the SDGs. Examples of progress from some countries demonstrate that achieving sustainable development through concerted global action is possible. The SDGs are, in essence, universal, time-bound, and legally non-binding policy objectives agreed upon by governments. They come close to prescriptive international norms but are generally more specific, and they can be highly ambitious. The overarching UN program "2030 Agenda" presented

11832-407: The smallest atoms, which have an approximately ,25 nm kinetic diameter ). The upper limit is more or less arbitrary, but is around the size below which phenomena not observed in larger structures start to become apparent and can be made use of. These phenomena make nanotechnology distinct from devices that are merely miniaturized versions of an equivalent macroscopic device; such devices are on

11948-554: The special measures against the strength of the Swiss franc financed by the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI) – now Innosuisse – which are intended to strengthen the innovative power and thus the competitiveness of Swiss companies. In 2014, the Swiss government initiated a priority program to promote energy research; eight different competence centers ( Swiss Competence Centers for Energy Research , SCCER) are to better network Swiss universities and research institutions in

12064-449: The special needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, and facilitate democratic participation". SDG 17 is to: "Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development." Increasing international cooperation is seen as vital to achieving each of the 16 previous goals. Developing multi-stakeholder partnerships to facilitate knowledge exchange, expertise, technology, and financial resources

12180-399: The summer. Bandages are infused with silver nanoparticles to heal cuts faster. Video game consoles and personal computers may become cheaper, faster, and contain more memory thanks to nanotechnology. Also, to build structures for on chip computing with light, for example on chip optical quantum information processing, and picosecond transmission of information. Nanotechnology may have

12296-487: The term "nanotechnology", he envisioned manufacturing technology based on molecular machine systems. The premise was that molecular-scale biological analogies of traditional machine components demonstrated molecular machines were possible: biology was full of examples of sophisticated, stochastically optimized biological machines . Drexler and other researchers have proposed that advanced nanotechnology ultimately could be based on mechanical engineering principles, namely,

12412-493: The title The 17 Sustainable Development Goals to Global Goals , then ran workshops and conferences to communicate the Global Goals to a global audience. The Aarhus Convention is a United Nations convention passed in 2001, explicitly to encourage and promote effective public engagement in environmental decision making. Information transparency related to social media and the engagement of youth are two issues related to

12528-412: The transfer of new materials and technologies and bring products in the construction and energy sectors to market more quickly. Empa operates the research and innovation building jointly with Eawag. NEST consists of a central backbone and three open platforms on which individual research and innovation modules — so-called “units” — are installed according to a plug and play principle. After the creation of

12644-410: The youth, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples , and migrants and refugees ". For the global context, inclusiveness means a special emphasis on the least developed countries , which are "the 46 poorest countries that are home to 13 per cent of the world population and that the 2030 Agenda recognizes as particularly vulnerable". The lists of targets and indicators for each of the 17 SDGs

12760-478: Was created in 2013 to review the progress of the implementation of the SDGs. The fifth aspect about the SDGs that is unique is that they are "more visible in public discourse and more central in the United Nations system than earlier initiatives". The SDGs are emphasizing inclusiveness in the national context and also in global governance . For the national context this means a focus on groups that are "suffering from exclusion and inequalities, namely children and

12876-655: Was held in Rio de Janeiro , where the first agenda for Environment and Development, also known as Agenda 21 , was developed and adopted. In 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), also known as Rio+20, was held as a 20-year follow up to UNCED. Colombia proposed the idea of the SDGs at a preparation event for Rio+20 held in Indonesia in July 2011. In September 2011, this idea

12992-587: Was its first director. It is housed in the Polytechnic in Zurich (today's ETH Zurich). In 1891, Tetmajer was commissioned to clarify the cause of the collapse of the Münchenstein rail bridge  built by Gustave Eiffel . In a short time, he succeeded in showing that Euler's hyperbola, which had been used until then, could only be used in the elastic range of the steel under discussion. In 1895,

13108-530: Was not widely known. Inspired by Feynman's concepts, K. Eric Drexler used the term "nanotechnology" in his 1986 book Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology , which proposed the idea of a nanoscale "assembler" that would be able to build a copy of itself and of other items of arbitrary complexity with atom-level control. Also in 1986, Drexler co-founded The Foresight Institute to increase public awareness and understanding of nanotechnology concepts and implications. The emergence of nanotechnology as

13224-706: Was picked up by the United Nations Department of Public Information 64th NGO Conference in Bonn, Germany. The outcome document proposed 17 sustainable development goals and associated targets. In the run-up to Rio+20 there was much discussion about the idea of the SDGs. At the Rio+20 Conference, a resolution known as "The Future We Want" was reached by member states. Among the key themes agreed on were poverty eradication, energy, water and sanitation, health, and human settlement. In January 2013,

13340-400: Was published in a UN resolution in July 2017. Each goal typically has eight to 12 targets, and each target has between one and four indicators used to measure progress toward reaching the targets, with the average of 1.5 indicators per target. The targets are either outcome targets (circumstances to be attained) or means of implementation targets. The latter targets were introduced late in

13456-433: Was successfully used to manipulate individual atoms in 1989. The microscope's developers Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM Zurich Research Laboratory received a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986. Binnig, Quate and Gerber also invented the analogous atomic force microscope that year. Second, fullerenes (buckyballs) were discovered in 1985 by Harry Kroto , Richard Smalley , and Robert Curl , who together won

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