Nanotechnology and Sustainable Development [Paperback]

Public institutions, academic researchers and financial analysts among others hail nanotechnologies as one of the most promising sectors of social and economic development. Calculations predict that it will become a trillion euro industry by 2015 and that it will bring about economic change of at least the same magnitude as the industrial revolution. Nanotechnology is recent, younger by some thirty years than biotechnology, but it appears at a point in time in human history where there is a convergence between the globalization of access to information and increasing awareness of the importance of sustainable development. Nanotechnology and Sustainable Developmentexplores the ways in which this convergence leads to a change in the management of innovation  and ultimately a reshaping of technological democracy. The scope of the study is global, with a particular focus on Europe and the United States, utilizing several case studies of stakeholders including entrepreneurs, commentators, end users, scientists, and policy makers.

Part I. Nano, the Next Dimension of Sustainable Development  1. Background and Roadmap  2. General Philosophy of the Book  Part II. Indicators of Nanotechnology Entrepreneurship  3. Introduction  4. R&D Architecture  5. Research Centers and Infrastructure  6. Nano-Related Patent Activities  7. Nano-Products Reaching the Market  8.Conclusion  Part III: Nano-Development and Regulatory Practices  9. Areas of Development  10. Initial Positive Regulation  11. Initial Restrictive Regulation  12. Regulatory Frameworks and Exogenous Factors  13. Sustainable Development and Nano-Based Business Activities  Part IV: Innovatil#{