Nokia has shown off the wrist-bracelet-like Morph ‘concept phone’ on YouTube. But the nanoscience inside is a bit harder to see.

Nokia believes nanoscience can bring these benefits to next-gen mobile devices:

• Newly-enabled flexible and transparent materials blend more seamlessly with the way we live
• Devices become self-cleaning and self-preserving
• Transparent electronics offering an entirely new aesthetic dimension
• Built-in solar absorption might charge a device, whilst batteries become smaller, longer lasting and faster to charge
• Integrated sensors might allow us to learn more about the environment around us, empowering us to make better choices

An ‘Extensive” Nano Partnership
Under the agreement, Nokia and University of Cambridge will begin “an extensive and long-term program of joint research” Nokia Research Center (NRC) will collaborate with UC’s Nanoscience Centre and the Electrical Division of Engineering.

The pact brings to Nokia researchers Cambridge’s expertise in nanoelectronics, novel materials and coatings, biologically inspired nanostructures and advanced characterization tools.

“Cambridge and Nokia share a common belief in the ability of nanotechnology to deliver products and applications of tangible value to people,” commented Professor Mark Welland, director of the IRC (Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration) in Nanotechnology at Cambridge. “The fact that we also share a common commitment to the responsible introduction of nanotechnology into the public arena adds a further unique dimension to this collaboration.”

Dr. Tapani Ryhanen heads Nokia global research in the nanotechnology area, and will lead Nokia's collaboration with Cambridge. He said: “The techniques we are developing really bring us a toolkit for working with the processes of nature at a very basic level – the level of molecules – in a safe and controlled way.”

Nokia Research Center participates in the standardization work and various international R&D projects in cooperation with universities and research institutes. Nokia Research Center employs about 950 people and has activities in Finland, USA, Germany, Hungary, China and Japan.

Not only can the Morph’s nanowire-based circuits and low-thermal materials give the user a phone that looks and feels more like a gummy bare than an old-fashioned brick phone, but the highly-sophisticated nanoelectronics could also make the phone self-cleaning and energy efficient.

“This collaboration both recognizes and enhances Cambridge's global reputation for excellence in science and technology research,” UC Professor Ian Leslie, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research said in prepared remarks. “ One of the greatest advantages to the University is the opportunity to work closely with a recognized worldwide leader in technology products and applications on ‘real world' challenges and initiatives.”

The head of Nokia’s NRC Dr. Bob Iannucci said the agreement with Cambridge reflects a long-term commitment to outside collaborations on emerging technologies, including nanoscience. “This is the third partnership with a world-leading research institution NRC has announced in the last eighteen months. Such open collaboration is central to NRC's strategy, because it enables us to bring together some of the leading researchers in our fields of interest and to benefit from each other's different backgrounds and perspective”

Nokia is the world's largest non-U.S. technology firm, and owns some 40% of the worldwide market for mobile devices. But, to keep growing, Nokia execs say they need – and want – innovative ideas from the public. To put things in perspective, while Apple’s iPhone has ramped to 5 million units worldwide, analsyst expect the total pie for mobile Internet devices to top 125 million units in Europe alone in just the next 5 years.

Meanwhile, the Morph, still very much a concept, is on display at Museum of Modern Art in New York.