Title: a Human Tumor Genome Project: from Sequence to Structure, Function and Possibly

Global Congress of Knowledge Economy (GCKE) Qingdao China

Title: Technological Entrepreneurship for a Bright Economic Future of China

Dr. Dan Shechtman Professor Israeli Institute for Technology, Israel Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry 2011

Abstract

Over the past several decades we witness a shift toward national policies that encourage innovation and technological entrepreneurship. The call for more investment in entrepreneurship echoes around the globe as it becomes clear that except for a few countries, natural resources like oil and minerals are not enough to sustain economies, while human ingenuity is indeed the most important, sustainable natural resource. So, is there hope for everybody in China to improve their lives? Can technological entrepreneurship be motivated and taught so that generations of determined entrepreneurs will build up thriving economies in China and in the world? The clear answer to both questions is yes and it all starts with education in general and scientific-technical education in particular. This is a long process, but there is a way to expedite it–start with the already educated engineers and scientists of China. These are the first candidates to open entrepreneurial endeavors. They can make the difference, but need motivation, instruction and encouraging economic environment that fosters creation of successful start-ups. These pioneering entrepreneurs can then serve as role models to others. The name of the game is motivation. If this nucleus of capable Chinese people are motivated toward entrepreneurship, a process can start that will make a huge difference in a life of China. Living examples to countries that underwent this process are China, Israel and Singapore whose societies shifted from agrarian to industrial within several decades thanks to the spirit of entrepreneurship and the motivation to create high-tech industries led and guided by individual engineers and scientists. In my talk I will explain the need for technological entrepreneurship and describe my involvement in turning Israel into a startup nation.

Biography

Professor Shechtman is a retired Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, An associate of Ames Laboratory and Professor of Materials Science and engineering at Iowa State University. After receiving his doctorate, Prof. Shechtman was an NRC fellow at the aerospace Research Laboratories at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, where he studied the microstructure and physical metallurgy of titanium aluminides. In 1975 he joined the department of materials science & engineering at Technion. In 1981-l983 he was on Sabbatical at the Johns Hopkins University, where he studied rapidly solidified aluminum transition metal alloys (joint program with NBS). During this study he discovered the Icosahedral Phase which opened the new field of quasiperiodic crystals, for which he was awarded many prized including the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. His current research is focused on development and study of new magnesium alloys for various applications.