Small Science Has Big Impact on California's Future
February 16, 2004

By James Klein, Larta VOX Editor

A new report commissioned by the California legislature emphasizes the importance of nanotechnology to California's prosperity.

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: Opportunities and Challenges in California was prepared by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) at the request of the California Legislature's Joint Committee on Preparing California for the 21st Century.

The Joint Committee on Preparing California for the 21st Century asked CCST to prepare this briefing as part of its investigation into the social, legal, and ethical implications of emerging technology applications. The California Council on Science and Technology's mission is to assess California's long-term research needs, its ability to retain vital industries and scientific talent, its ability to transfer technology from university lab to industry, and S&T public policy issues.

The report contains an up-to-date perspective and analysis on numerous aspects of nanotechnology, including its economic impact, affect on scientific disciplines, commercial best practices, workforce development issues, social and ethical concerns, and policy recommendations. The report is not intended to be a comprehensive study, but rather was created to help lay the groundwork for producing a long-term nanotechnology strategy.

The report asserts that California is best suited to take the lead in nanotechnology research and commercialization. However, the report also identifies serious issues that must be addressed if California is to take full advantage of its potential to become the nanotechnology leader for the 21st century.

The report emphasizes the impact of nanotechnology on California's high-tech industries, including microelectronics, materials manufacturing, energy, biotechnology, biomedicine, and computers, fomenting a dramatic revolution that will change the ways products are produced, manufactured, and utilized.

Nanotechnology, which has the ability to work with matter at the molecular level, has already enabled the creation of materials and systems whose structures and components exhibit novel and often significantly improved physical, chemical, and biological properties. A few nanotechnology-enabled materials have already entered the consumer market, and many more are being developed. Economists predict a trillion dollar global market for nanoproducts in the next ten years.

The federal government is investing $847 million in the National Nanotechnology Initiative in 2004 to support research and development. In addition, the Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2003 provides an additional 3.68 billion over three years for nanotechnology R&D under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, NASA, the US Department of Commerce, and the Environmental Protection Agency. It is also estimated that over $1.2 billion of venture capital was invested in nanotechnology in 2003. Other nations have also recognized the potential of nanotechnology. Japan and several European countries, for example, are investing significant resources in nanotechnology research and training. Japan's spending, in particular, has outpaced that of the National Nanotechnology Initiative for several years.

The promise of nanotechnology is certainly significant, though its future impact is difficult to quantify or predict. Advances in microelectronics and materials are projected for the near future, while the possibilities of quantum computing, genetically specific drugs, and materials constructed to a high degree of molecular accuracy are almost limitless.

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology: Opportunities and Challenges in California identifies specific factors that are certain to play important roles in the development of nanotechnology, such as the support of top university researchers, technology transfer, supportive tax and regulatory climates, and the presence of skilled workforce.

The report also raises specific issues that could challenge California's ability to benefit from nanotechnology development, as well as the nation as a whole. One issue is the sheer scientific scope of the nanotechnology revolution, which requires a collective advance in several disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and physics.

Another issue the report identifies is the necessity of keeping the public well informed in order to limit the spread of misinformation, and a possible policy backlash against nanotechnology. The possibility for such a backlash has already been seen, even in the science's early stage, as an implausible fear of self-replicating robots has recently lead some to call for a moratorium on nanotechnology research.

The report also warns that some of California's existing industries will have to undergo radical transformations in order to survive the transition from silicon-based computer chips to carbon nanotube-based chips, which would require adopting completely different manufacturing processes.

Intellectual property is also considered an issue of importance to the future of nanotechnology, both because the science involves uncharted territory (can one patent an atom?) and because of the inefficiency in the transfer of IP between universities, state agencies, and industry.

Another concern is California increasing and well-documented difficulty in educating a sufficiently skilled workforce to support its high-technology industries.

The report also raises the possibility that potential environmental and social changes wrought by the advent of nanotechnology could have unforeseen and detrimental ramifications, including political initiatives that hinder its potential impact on the state's and the nation's economy. It is therefore recommended that risk-benefit analyses be included in the nanotechnology R&D process in order to effectively anticipate and manage possible environmental hazards and social issues.

The following are some broad recommendations drawn from the report's research:

California Congressional Delegation

1. Bring federal money to California via the Boehlert-Honda Nanotechnology Act and the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act.

California Legislature

1. Create a Select Committee on New and Emerging Technologies in each house of the Legislature.

2. Create nanoethics centers.

3. Examine public privacy of nanotechnology sensors and data.

Governor's Office

1. Establish a Nanotechnology Research and Workforce Advisory Council.

2. Create a K-12 Science and Engineering Initiative.

3. Insure that nanotechnology is included in the state education science standards.

4. Identify outmoded tax initiatives.

College and University Systems

1. Create a strategic higher education research and technician workforce training plan for California.

2. Develop a social science nanotechnology curriculum.

3. Encourage and attract public and private financing.

4. Inventory Industry Driven Regional Collaborative (IDRC) projects.

5. Establish a nanotechnology workforce training initiative.

California State Government Agencies and Departments

1. Form the Joint Nanotechnology Human, Agricultural, and Environmental Assessment Committee.

2. Direct the Economic Strategy Panel, with support from the Labor Market Information Division, to identify the components, workforce development and other needs of emerging regional California nanotechnology clusters.

3. Direct the Labor Market Information Division, Employment Development Department, to permanently assign an analyst to monitor the emergence of the nanotechnology industry.

4. Continuously update the California Training and Education Providers database.

5. Instruct the Workforce Investment Board to identify nanotechnology as an emerging manufacturing industry cluster.

6. Involve nanotechnology oriented businesses and universities.

7. Train One-Stop staff.

8. Involve university, workforce training and business in developing a workforce training strategy.

9. Form Nanotechnology Regional Interagency Working Groups.

For questions or comments on the report, contact:
California Council on Science and Technology
1130 K Street, Suite 280
Sacramento, California 95814
916 492-0096 phone
916 492-0999 fax
ccst@ccst.us email

Get an Adobe Acrobat PDF version of the full report
Go to Larta's Nanotechnology Research Archive

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