Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies: An action plan for ... - EUR-Lex

Support for nanotechnology research under the Community’s Framework Programmes hascontinued to grow, from EUR 1.4 billion in the four-year period 2003-2006, to more thanEUR 1.1 billion in the two-year period 2007-2008. Further growth is expected in the years upto the end of the 7 th Research Framework Programme (FP7) in 2013. This investment iscomplemented by significant public funding in Member States, to the tune of more than EUR2.5 billion in 2007-2008. Private funding, however, still lagged behind public funding inEurope. At the same time, funding was increasing rapidly in other parts of the world, anddynamic new players were coming on the scene.The Community funding covered a very wide spectrum, from fundamental nanoscience toindustrial applications, with an increasing emphasis on applications. Much of this fundingcame from the cross-thematic approaches developed in FP7, as nanotechnologies have aninterdisciplinary and enabling character and can contribute to different industrial sectors andpolicy objectives in health, food, environment, energy and transport. The industrialparticipation in projects is gradually increasing, having reached 40 %. 5 The Commission isalso directly engaged in nanotechnology research through its Joint Research Centre (JRC),whose activities are directly linked to a number of related policy areas.This short Communication cannot do justice to the wealth of results that are being obtainedthrough EU-funded nanotechnology projects. Details are presented in the accompanying StaffWorking Document. Some examples of applications can nonetheless be outlined:– In nanoelectronics, the miniaturisation of semiconductor components enables ever morepowerful computers and other digital devices. Even smaller devices now seem possible vianovel “bottom-up” techniques.– In nanomedicine, devices based on “nanobiological” sensors are being developed, for theearly diagnosis of common diseases like cardiovascular diseases and cancers. It also seemspossible to selectively target drugs to diseased cells, thereby minimising the negative sideeffects of these drugs in other areas of the body; and to use engineered tissues forregenerative medicine.– In pilot line projects, some of the most promising laboratory results are being turned intoindustrial applications, not only to produce new materials but also to improve industrialsustainability.– In the field of energy, more efficient and less costly solar cells are being developed.Thermoelectric converters could furthermore recover heat, from internal combustionengines for example, which would otherwise be wasted.– In water remediation, nanotechnology is showing the way to more effective and less costlymethods.Whilst fundamental nanoscience and enabling research must not be neglected, it is appropriatethat the funding from the Cooperation part of the Framework Programme should increasinglytarget nanotechnology research that offers realistic short- to medium-term prospects ofproducing benefits and safe products, in fields such as health, environment and energy, and ofimproving industrial competitiveness. To ensure this, an Advisory Group on Industrial5In terms of the number of different participations, in the nanotechnology projects funded under theNMP theme of FP7 in 2007 and 2008EN 3 EN