Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies Roadmap

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Nanotechnology is a fast-moving area of research and development. It attracts a lot of public and private investment. There are lively discussions and debate about the safety and ethics of nanomaterials and applications of nanotechnologies.

July 2008 update

Access to tools and training

  • Five New Zealand research organisations were visited by the Acting General Manager of the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility (formerly the Nanostructural Analysis Network Organisation) in September 2007. They discussed access to nanoscience and nanotechnology research equipment.
  • As part of the science learning hub we are working with the research sector to develop resources for school students in science and mathematics to provide contemporary learning experiences. Nanoscience and nanotechnology resources may be added to the science learning hub in the future.

Engagement with society

  • We convened a workshop at the MacDiarmid Institute Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology conference in Wellington in February 2007. Nanotech researchers, social scientists, policy makers and other interested groups identified research questions and approaches that contribute to responsible development of nanoscience and nanotechnologies. 
  • We are coordinating discussions across government on policy issues on national and international developments in nanoscience and nanotechnologies. Our Futurewatch program has a nanotechnology focus; four reports from the Navigator Network over the last two years have noted nanotechnology-related issues (see Navigator Network page on this website).

Research direction and investment

The Minister of RS&T has instructed the Foundation for Research Science and Technology (FRST) and the Health Research Council to take account of directions in this roadmap where relevant in their future investment decisions.

In 2007 two of the investment signals that FRST issued explicitly referred to the Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies Roadmap:

An additional $3million for NERF was announced in Budget 2008 particularly to boost research into physical technologies, including materials and nanotechnology.

An additional $3million pa in year in 2008/09 rising to $10million pa in 4 years was announced for the High Technology Platforms Transformational Research Science and Technology (TRST) area (High-Tech Platforms - MoRST)

Other activities

  • The Ministry for the Environment has participated in meetings of the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials. This Group has identified policy and research priorities related to the assessment and regulation of manufactured nanomaterials. New Zealand is not leading a project but wishes to discuss priorities.

Erratum

The figure on page 42 of the published Roadmap has some of the chart segments incorrectly shaded. This diagram has the correct shading:

Erratum, Figure 4, page 42 [13KB]
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Page updated 31 Jul 2008