NOBEL laureate, Prof. Alan MacDiarmid, believes Shenzhen could surpass Silicon Valley in developing the high-tech industries.

　　“My answer to the question whether Shenzhen could be another Silicon Valley is that Shenzhen can do better by employing new materials and technologies.”

　　The silver-haired, 75-year-old Prof. Alan G. MacDiarmid aired his views at the third session of the China Hi-Tech Forum, which was held in Wuzhou Guesthouse yesterday.

　　Prof. MacDiarmid won the 2000 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his discovery and development of conductive organic polymers. He is now a Blanchard Professor of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania.

　　His discovery 25 years ago, that certain types of organic polymers could be converted to metals, presented a whole new versatile class of materials to the scientific world.

　　He believes the 21st century will be an age of plastics, given the extensive potential uses of new materials.