Session Type: 90-Minute Symposium
Number: 090-073
Title: Global Diffusion of Nanotechnology: Lessons from China, Italy, and the United States
Session Start/End Time: Sunday, Feb 17, 2008, 1:45 PM - 3:15 PM
Hotel: Hynes Convention Center, Second Level
Room: Room 204
Synopsis: This symposium focuses on the globalization of the research, development, and commercialization of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology offers a unique lens through which to view global science and technology both because of the significant amount of governmental and private funding it is generating and because of the ambiguity surrounding its significance as a field. As an emerging technology, nanotechnology is already global in scope and highly competitive in nature. Presentations focus on the development of the industry in key international locations: China, Italy, and the United States, with an additional data visualization component that maps technology research networks across the highlighted regions, using scientific publications and patent information as key data sources. The total amount of government spending on nanotechnology indicates that countries are aggressively seeking to use science and technology to upgrade their economies. By focusing on small to medium enterprises in Italy’s Veneto region, large state-led initiatives in China, and entrepreneurial ventures in North Carolina, the panel intends to illustrate the varied approaches being taken around the world to balance the risks and rewards involved in tapping the potential of what is predicted to be a US$2.6 trillion market within the next decade.
 

Richard P. Appelbaum, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA;Rachel Parker, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA;Gary Gereffi, Duke University, Durham, NC

Symposium Organizer--Richard P. Appelbaum, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA

Symposium Co-Organizer--Rachel Parker, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA

Symposium Co-Organizer--Gary Gereffi, Duke University, Durham, NC

Moderator--Richard P. Appelbaum, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA

Nanotechnology, Science-Led Development, and Technological Leapfrogging in China--Rachel A. Parker, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA

Nanotechnology, Commercialization, and Risk Management: The Case of North Carolina--Gary Gereffi, Duke University, Durham, NC

Nanotechnology from Below: Role of Small and Medium Enterprises and Regional Production--Stefano Micelli, Venice International University, Venice, Italy

Discussant--Timothy Lenoir, Duke University, Durham, NC