CNS-ASU's Jan Youtie investigates the promise of nanotechnology

Investment in nanotechnology research is based on the promise of a transition to active nanotechnology, nanostructures, and nanodevices. Products of all kinds have been promised, everything from self-healing materials to molecular machines. But are such advances really taking place, and if so, where are they happening, and when will they arrive? 

Drawn from research with Philip Shapira and colleagues at Georgia Tech, RTTA 1 leader Jan Youtie discusses evidence on nanotechnology and commercialization and explores implications for anticipatory governance and public policy.

Youtie and her research team gathered evidence from large-scale analysis of patents and research publications from across the world. They present information about the timing of next-generation nanotechnology outputs, and how they have spread. They then use lessons from the diffusion of science-based applications to suggest implications for investment and research decisions in the nanotechnology sector.

Alongside her colleague from Georgia Tech, Dr. Philip Shapira, and Dr. Jose Lobo from ASU, Dr. Youtie co-leads the Real-Time Technology Assessment (RTTA 1) at CNS-ASU that focuses on the scope of the Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NSE) enterprise and its effects on public values and outcomes.

Check out the talk below, and be sure to share your thoughts on the promises of nanotechnology in the comments.