Dr. Scott E. Rickert heads Nanofilm Ltd., one of the oldest and largest privately held nanotechnology companies in the United States. He co-founded the Valley View, Ohio-based firm in 1986 with the goal of “nano-izing” consumer products, that is, adding features and functionality by incorporating nanotechnology.
The company's first commercial product was an optical nanocoating for eyeglass lenses that expanded to a full range of precision optics products. Today, Nanofilm's technology reaches into electronics, sports, architecture, transportation, energy and home products. Rickert continues to set the company's research and development vision, bringing a depth of research expertise from his academic experience as a professor of macromolecular chemistry at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland from 1980 to 1987.
He holds a bachelor of science degree from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from Case. He currently serves with a number of key industry groups, including the global advisory board of the NanoBusiness Alliance, and lectures and writes on topics in the field. His company and writings had been featured in publications as diverse as The New York Times, NASA Nanotechnology Briefs, Wired magazine and IndustryWeek. He's been named a "technology pioneer" by the World Economic Forum and took part in presentations at its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.