Nanotech - stakeholders see need for broad debate 

The Nanoforum received some 750 responses to the consultation. The respondents were mainly from Europe (93 per cent) and one third of the answers came from Germany and the UK. A significant number of answers were also received from France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, whereas the new member states were somewhat underrepresented. Half of the respondents came from the research community. 

The consultation reveals the following common attitudes among the stakeholders: 

• nanotechnology will have a strong impact on European industry and its citizens within only ten years from now;
• the US is seen as the leader whereas Europe lags behind in both nanosciences and the transfer of nanotechnology to industry; 
• nanotechnologies are believed to have the strongest impact on: chemistry and materials, information and communications technologies and healthcare;
• strong support for a significant increase in research funding for nanotechnologies via the framework programme; 
• support for creation of European infrastructures in the field and a number of suggestions stressing the need for cross-disciplinary infrastructures;  
• a shortage of skilled research personnel foreseen in 5-10 years and there is a need for interdisciplinary skills;
• health, safety and environmental risks should be integrated early into research;
• the societal impact of nanotechnology needs to be taken account from an early stage and more communication and dialogue is needed;
• an international ‘code of good conduct’ would be welcomed. 

According to the Commission's updated version of the Nanotechnology -Work programme, the primary objective of the nanotechnology thematic area of FP6 is to promote real industrial breakthroughs, based on scientific and technological excellence. Radical breakthrough can be achieved either through creation of new knowledge or by combining and exploiting existing and new knowledge. "A key issue will be to integrate competitiveness, innovation and sustainability into consistent RTD activities," states the programme.

Public investment in research and development in nanotechnology worldwide has risen from 400 million euros in 1997 to some 3 billion euros today. Concerns remain on some aspects of nanotechnology, which may introduce new health, environmental and societal risks.