Innovationsight

In 1959, in a paper entitled “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom”, physicist Richard Feynmann proposed a new field of study for science: technology at an atomic and molecular scale. “The principles of physics, as far as I can see, do not speak against the possibility of maneuvering things atom by atom”, Feynmann told the American Physical Society, opening the way to any interested investors. His talk sparked an interest in developing technology at a minute scale, which has continued to the present day, and which will probably result in a silent revolution which will have an impact on many different areas of our everyday life.

Nanotechnology is a series of multidisciplinary techniques used to manipulate matter at the scale of atoms and molecules. The prefix nano- denotes a billionth part. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter. In order to understand the potential of this technology it is essential to know that the physical and chemical properties of matter change at nano scale: electrical conductivity, color, resistance, elasticity and reactivity, among other properties, behave differently than at a larger scale.

Nanotechnology can be applied in various fields, including materials, electronics, biomedicine and energy. Materials of much greater hardness and resistance, much faster computers with greater capacity, more effective medical research and diagnoses, capable of responding faster to new diseases and abundant low-cost environmentally friendly energy are just some examples of how nanotechnology will revolutionize the potential of many common fields today.

Nanotechnology is already here, however; nanoscale materials are used in a range of consumer products: Some of the applications already to be found on the market include much more effective cosmetics offering better protection, more flexible and resistant tennis rackets and non-scratch glasses. Researchers consider it to be just a matter of time before nanotechnological products start entering our everyday lives. Indeed, they estimate that sales of products incorporating nanotechnology will increase from 0.1% of the total manufactured at present to 15% by the year 2014.

The development of new products and processes and entry into new markets requires large-scale investments that will be of key importance in the successful development of nanotechnology. To date, it has been public initiative that has enabled the early take-off of nanotechnology, but the private sector is now beginning to take the reins, playing an increasingly important role. The current position varies from region to region, however: in America and Asia, the business sector already contributes more than government, but in Europe we will still have to wait some time before we see the private sector leading investment in nanotechnology.

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