Described as the "hidden gem in the competition", a Florida State University team of graduate students showcased their prowess with buckypapers -- large mats of carbon nanotubes -- at the recent 2007 Nano Idea to Product (I2P®) business competition. The I2P®, open to all disciplines interested in technology-focused entrepreneurship, was specifically designed for graduate students who want to commercialize new nanotechnologies.

The diversified team comprised of College of Business MBA student John Wallace and FAMU-FSU College of Engineering graduate students Eric Rodriguez and Johnnattan Ugarte presented their business plan to a panel of judges consisting of well-known venture capitalists.

With the lack of a continuous fabrication process stunting the buckypapers technology from reaching its potential, the FSU team devised a tandem of uninterrupted processes that optimized buckypaper fabrication making it feasible on the industrial scale.

The FSU team revealed a multitude of applications for this innovative technology such as electro-magnetic interference (EMI) shielding, lightning strike protection, heat dissipation, and liquid crystal display (LCD) - all which serve the needs of many key industries including aerospace, computer display, defense, electronics and space.

"We are doing something valuable," said Wallace. "Now we know that other people believe it has value also. This conference has helped us figure out how to introduce it to the marketplace."

The I2P® format focuses on developing entrepreneurial skills critical for the earliest stage in the commercialization process. The competition aims for unique product ideas using innovative nanotechnologies and matching those ideas with a clear market need and demand.

"It's ideal for the starting point where an idea morphs into a business," said Pat Richardson, director of Strategy and Business Development in the Office of Technology Transfer. "Imagine talking with a group of friends about your amazing invention and trying to determine if you have it in you to start a business. This is long before the business plan, when you hold the fragile idea in your mind, wondering if it will interest potential customers. This competition teaches students to navigate those issues."

The FSU team received a $500 award as one of six finalists in the Nano I2P® Competition at Nano Nexus 2007 Conference held April 3 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The conference brought together universities, entrepreneurs, and leaders of the nanotechnology industry in an effort to move nanotechnology out of research organizations and into the marketplace.

For more information about the College of Business, please go to www.cob.fsu.edu.