| Nov 25, 2011 |
Free report: European nanotechnology landscape
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(Nanowerk News) Bax & Willems, a specialized consultancy firm, has just release a free-to-download European Nanotechnology Landscape Report (pdf) that offers an overview
of the nanotechnology landscape in Europe targeted at policy makers
on all levels (local, regional, national and European).
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It furthermore
examines how nanotechnology developments, and the solutions they
enable, can help address some of the Grand Challenges that Europe is
facing today such as:
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An ageing population
New energy economy
Sustainable food & environment
Intelligent, safe & connected world
Improved resource efficiency of industrial production
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Even though nanotechnology offers some unique characteristics that
can be exploited into many functionalities, one cannot state that nanoenabled
developments are necessarily the best science or technology
to address each particular problem. This publication refrains from taking
a position on this issue; it merely identifies nanotechnologies and
their potential contribution to solve some of societies' most challenging
problems.
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While considering nanotechnology as a solution, many aspects must
be taken into account; societal and environmental impacts, and ethical
and health risk analysis are required for an intelligent matching of
societal demands and nanotechnological capabilities.
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Many of the nanotechnology applications identified in this report
are not 100% mature or proven at the time of publication. As a result,
for those nano-enabled solutions that are foreseen for the future, no
guarantees can be given that they will become reality in the expected
timeframe. Factors such as the urgency of the global challenge, the
likelihood of achieving the nano-enabled solution, and the time-line for
its likely achievement are all adding uncertainty to the future outlook
and must be taken into account.
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The European Nanotechnology Landscape Report also builds upon
policy-supporting primary data collected by the ObservatoryNano consortium.
European nanotechnology companies' patent, publication and
funding data is analyzed to provide a clearer picture of the European
landscape.
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More than 100 European companies involved in nanotechnology
have also been surveyed to examine what factors are of major
concern to them, and how they perceive policy instruments influence
their performance in a global business world. Given the total number
of nanotechnology companies in Europe, the 100 respondents offer a
statistically significant reflection of businesses opinions and realities;
even so one should not consider the census results as absolute truths
but rather as strong indications of perceptions of informed and highly
involved individuals.
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