Nanotechnology is a new arena of science and engineering. Its early products mark only modest steps forward from those already in use, but its potential is immense. Its most extreme supporters claim that nanotechnology can rebuild the human body from within and effectively abolish death, while its enemies fear that instead, it could do away with life, by turning the surface of the Earth into an uninhabitable grey mess. The truth probably lies somewhere between these extremes. But even here the consequences are certain to be significant, with novel medical technology, faster computers, new energy sources and improved materials. It is the social, political and economic effects of nanotechnology that concern the Economic and Social Research Council. We are grateful to Professor Stephen Wood of the ESRC Centre for Organisation and Innovation and his colleagues for writing this report, which sets out the technological potential of this new field and illustrates very clearly the issues which nanotechnology raises for society as a whole. It has been produced by a team of practitioners drawn from the social and physical sciences, a form of collaboration that we are keen to encourage. We are aware that nanotechnology is attracting the attention of governments, industry, research organisations and individuals across the world. We hope that they will find this report useful. Please follow the link on the right to access the full text of the report.

Professor Ian Diamond AcSS
Chief Executive
Economic and Social Research Council