A Roadmap for Nanotechnology
14 February 2008, 19:53
Categories: molecular-manufacturing molecular-machines--devices
The potential for nanotechnology to “build molecule-by-molecule” has been greatly discussed with one question invariably being asked: How do we get from here to there?
Foresight Nanotech Institute, a leading nanotechnology think tank and public interest organization, and Battelle, a leading global research and development organization, have officially unveiled Productive Nanosystems: A Technology Roadmap. Productive nanosystems are molecular-scale systems that make other useful materials and devices that are nanostructured.
The Roadmap is a first attempt to map out the R&D pathways across multiple disciplines to achieve atomically precise manufacturing. For the past three years, working groups comprised of over 70 research scientists, nanotechnology theorists, and business leaders have collaborated to create a common framework for understanding and defining these pathways.
The working groups also identified the challenges that must be overcome in the developing these systems and the applications that they can address. The Roadmap provides a structure for formulating research and commercialization agendas for achieving atomically precise manufacturing. The intended audiences for the Roadmap include governments, corporations, research institutions, investors, economic development organizations, public policy professionals, educators, and the media.
“For the first time, progress across all key nanoscale disciplines has been brought together into R&D pathways leading to atomically-precise manufacturing, with revolutionary applications to medicine, smart materials, and energy,” said Jim Von Ehr, Founder and chief executive officer of Zyvex Labs, Foresight Board of Directors member, and Roadmap Steering Committee member. “We look forward to hearing from technologists in industry, academia, and government on their thoughts about this roadmap, and their suggestions for improvement in the next version.”
Available free of charge at the Foresight Nanotech Institute website, the Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems features an Executive Summary that can be readily understood by those new to nanotechnology.
Posted by: The Editors
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