This National Nanomanufacturing Network Newsletter article 5(8) from August 29, 2012, describes the California in the Nano Economy website developed by Stacey Frederick with support from the National Science Foundation. The website was available at www.californiananoeconomy.org between 2012 and 2017, but no longer has a financial sponsor. The site uses a value chain approach to present California’s footprint in nanotechnology including its existing and potential capabilities and resources along the entire chain from nanoscale materials through final products. The website is an interactive, web-based version of applying this approach to a specific location (California) and the parts of a variety of industries that are impacted by a particular technology (nanotechnology). The information on the site primarily falls into the following categories that represent the main steps in the research process. The value chain section presents a visual depiction of the broad structure of the nanotechnology value chain. From the value chain image, users can click on any stage or sector to see basic information that describes the activities within that area and a list of companies in California that fall under the category. Each company name is a hyperlink to a new page that provides details on the activities of that location. Each location page covers information related to the physical location, business descriptors (i.e., year established and employment), and products or services. This information was from a variety of secondary sources to create a database of firms and organizations engaged in activities related to nanotechnology. This was part of a larger effort to map the U.S. and global nano economy of which a significant subset of companies are located in California. Each page also includes the location’s position in the value chain, including value chain sectors and subsectors, industry-focus areas, value-adding activities, and the degree the company appears to be focused on nanotechnology. Each location was placed into these positions by analyzing the location-specific information. The maps section includes interactive geographic maps of all locations in California included on the website. Multiple views are available that present different variables related to each location and are set apart by varying the color, size, and shape of the map marker. When the cursor is placed on a location, the information associated with that location appears. Users can select the variables they want to view to analyze different aspects of the firms and organizations in California. Company profiles provided in-depth overviews of the firms most cited by the secondary sources collected as being involved with nanotechnology in California. The workforce development and education resources and public policies sections focused on important dynamics that impact the development of the nanotechnology activities in California. The competitiveness indicators section evaluated the level of development of countries, states, and regions working in nanotechnology. Existing benchmarking strategies that use these indicators are listed along with California's rankings in select studies.
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