Nanotechnologies for development. Policy brief.

Abstract

This first NANO-DEV policy brief reviews literature on nanotechnologies for development. On the basis of this literature, the NANO-DEV policy brief identifies a number of gaps in our understanding of the relation between development and nanotechnology. The key message of the policy brief is that nanotechnology can have both positive and negative consequences for countries in the global South. These should be pro-actively dealt with. - The positive consequences of nanotechnology include direct benefits in the form of solutions to the problems of the poor and indirect benefits in the form of economic growth. - The negative consequences of nanotechnology include direct risks to human health and the environment and indirect risks such as a deepening of the global divide. - Core challenges to harnessing nanotechnology for development include risk governance, cultures of innovation, knowledge brokerage and travelling technology.