GETI will sponsor a research and commercialization mission to mainland China and Hong Kong from October 17th 2005 in order to understand efforts to support leading edge, applied micro (Microsystems and MEMS) and nanotechnology R&D activities, commercialization efforts and their potential impact on growing technology sectors. The purpose of the mission will be to canvass the leading research centers of China and review commercialization efforts taking place for new enabling micro and nanotechnologies with a particular focus on applications for certain key sectors including new/novel materials, semiconductors and related tools and equipment. China is expected to expand its R&D activities in order to support its plans to become a significant player in developing standards on the world stage, with foreign companies, especially from the US actively participating in and supporting such growth.

MNT experts from the US and China will lead the mission, with corporate representatives from the US, Europe and Japan expecting to attend. GETI Senior Advisors to lead the mission include Dr. Bill Blanpied, former Director of the National Science Foundation's Tokyo Office, Dr. Al Pisano, Director, University of California's Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center (BSAC) and Dr. Wen J. Li, Director of the Centre for Micro and Nano Systems at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. According to Dr. Bill Blanpied, though the market for semiconductors in China is currently only approximately 6%-7% of the world market, it is expected that new efforts to promote and support leading edge R&D for micro and nanotechnologies in China will greatly enhance the country's competitiveness. In recent years, nanotechnology has been catapulted from scientific curiosity to technology revolution and the Chinese government and industry has implemented policies to ensure the country's competitiveness. According to Dr. Pisano, the GETI mission to China "is an exciting opportunity both for industrial and academic representatives. I believe it will connect the attendees to the most active and creative researchers in nanotechnology in China today. I am personally excited to be part of this mission and I look forward to learning a great deal of valuable information."

An optional tour will also include a visit to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is the strategic twoway platform of the world's fastest-growing manufacturing basin- China's Pearl River Delta Region. Today, more than 53,000 Hong Kong-linked companies employ some 10 million people in the Pearl River Delta Region. Also, Hong Kong is a member of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Plan (9 Provinces plus 2 SARs Plan). These provinces include Guandong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hainan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan.