As reported before, last week I attended an Expert Group Meeting titled "North-South Dialogue on Nanotechnology: Challenges and Opportunities." This meeting was organized by the International Centre for Science and High Technology (ICS), an Institute of the United Nations operating in the framework of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
The organizers' introductory background description says:
Although nanotechnology is in its infancy, now may be the right time to explore its implementation in developing countries (DCs). Most of the current debate in industrialized countries is focused primarily on nanotechnology risks rather than its potential benefits. While it is true that there are legitimate risks that need to be addressed, there is also a need to adequately consider and understand how nanotechnology can bring benefits to knowledge and the economy in DCs. Moreover, an exclusive focus on the risks will create and widen another gap, similar to the digital and biotechnological gaps, between industrialized countries and DCs.
A total of eighty people from all around the world — scientists, academics, government personnel, and NGO representatives — gathered in Trieste, Italy, for this event. We had two full days of presentations and group discussions, followed by group dinners at which many more ideas were exchanged. On the third day, we broke into four smaller groups to develop recommendations on how the ICS might implement some of the proposals put forward during the meeting.
To help us prepare, the ICS published an Aide-Mémoire, which stated in part:
…in this moment there is no global effort to promote awareness of the potential applications of nanotechnology for development, to create new regulatory regimes (or build upon existing ones) for managing nanotechnology's associated risks and for promoting global public goods, to provide a platform for constructive dialogue among all stakeholders including representatives from government, industry, academia and local populations.
I used this theme for the presentation I delivered, which has now been posted on our website. My emphasis, of course, was on the possible need for administrative structures to manage advanced nanotechnology, and some of the factors and methods that might be considered in creating these "new regulatory regimes."
Here are a few of the many interesting people I got to know during our three days there:
- Roop Mahajan, professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado
- Todd Barker, one of the founding partners of Meridian Institute
- Uzi Landman, a computer modeling specialist with the Georgia Institute of Technology
- Tom Kalil, former science advisor to President Bill Clinton
- Chris Bunting, General Secretary of the International Risk Governance Council
- Terry Turney, Science Director at CSIRO Manufacturing in Australia
- Angela Hullman, European Commission Project Officer for Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies
- Ray Pimentel, Vice Consul with the British Consulate in Chicago
- Mark Morrison, Nanoforum Coordinator for the UK's Institute of Nanotechnology
- Don Maclurcan, with Australia’s Institute of Nanoscale Technology
- Kathy Jo Wetter, an ETC Group researcher
- Catherine Brahic, a staff journalist for SciDev.net
Three attendees were people I already knew:
- Mihail Roco, head of the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)
- Sinclair Wang, head of Taiwan Nanotechnology, and a member of CRN’s Board of Advisors
- Judith Light Feather, head of The NanoTechnology Group Inc.
I was gratified to discover how well known CRN already is within the worldwide nanotech community. Many people came up to me and said they knew about us, and many reported that they regularly read this blog.
Overall, it was a rewarding and highly constructive event, brilliantly planned and carried out by Dr. Luisa Mestroni and her hard-working, talented staff at the ICS. More gatherings of this sort will be imperative as we come closer to the time when exponential general-purpose molecular manufacturing becomes a reality.
Mike Treder
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