Use of Nanosciences and Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology has potentially huge consequences for many areas in society, for example in such diverse areas as energy and sustainability, health, safety, jurisdiction and communication, with new commerce in many areas. Due to this wideranging impact on our future society, the Netherlands must respond in good time to questions about knowledge, knowledge workers and knowledge infrastructure.

The Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter and the Technology Foundation STW in cooperation with the NWO research divisions for Earth and Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences and the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) have compiled a strategic memorandum as a first step towards a national NWO initiative in the areas of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

This contains three strategic themes concerning feasible opportunities for researchers and companies in the Netherlands:

• Nanomedicine;
• Beyond ‘Moore’ (towards microelectronics beyond silicon technology);
• Functional nanoparticles and surfaces with patterns at a nanoscale.

In cooperation with the government, the private sector and public bodies and following on from the anticipated cabinet viewpoint on nanotechnology, it is expected that an initiative from NWO will be successful.

This programme links up with the themes of VNO/NCW, the priorities of SenterNovem, the key areas High-tech Systems and Materials and Chemistry of the Innovation Platform, the themes of TNO and the GTIs, as well as the EU Framework Programmes.