EU: EUR4 million for nanotechnology

An international organisation dedicated to promoting the widespread commercial and industrial potential of nanotechnology is to be established with the help of the European Commission. The commission is providing EUR4 million funding from its wealthy Seventh Framework Programme research budget to set up and run a European Observatory on Nanotechnologies.

The virtual body will bring together 17 European partners in the field, with the work coordinated by the Institute of Nanotechnology in Glasgow, Scotland. The European Union funding is set to run for four years but the project partners clearly expect nanotechnology to have sufficiently embedded itself for the funding to be continued beyond 2012.

A commission report* on the project said its basic role would be to produce science-based and economic expert analysis across different technology sectors and "establish a dialogue with decision makers and others regarding the benefits and opportunities of nanotechnologies, balanced against barriers and risks".

More specifically, it is intended to integrate scientific with economic analysis and consider "societal impacts and ethical issues, potential environmental, health and safety risks and the need to develop new standards".

Project coordinator Dr Mark Morrison, scientific manager at the Glasgow institute, said the particularly exciting areas of applied nanotechnology were in medicine, energy and the environment. Nanotechnology had the potential to contribute to early disease detection and non-invasive treatment as well as its use in fuel cells and other energy applications, and in removing pollutants and toxins from groundwater, Morrison said.

"Ultimately we would hope that individuals will use our web site to find relevant information on topics that interest them and help them make informed decisions, whether they are looking for a technical, economic, ethical or EHS [environmental health and safety] perspective."
Nanotechology covered a vast area, including agriculture and the food industry, the security industry and aerospace, said Tiju Joseph, technology analyst at the institute.

Joseph told University World News the project was very important for the EU and it was hoped the EU would continue its funding although that was "difficult to say at this time".

Reflecting the concerns many people have about nanotechology, the project partners include philosophers, investment consultants, trade associations and health and safety institutes as well as representatives of science and the social sciences, economists and industry - including small and medium-sized enterprises.

www.nano.org.uk and Institute of Nanotechnology

alan.osborn@uw-news.com