Nanotech – stakeholders see need for broad debate

Results of the Commission consultation on nanotechnology reveal
strong stakeholder consensus that nanotechnology will have a
significant impact on European industry and its
competitiveness within ten years from now.

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.

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