Nanotechnology and Development

Nanotechnology is a generic platform with potential applications in many sectors. It promises to be a motor of economic growth with inclusive development through innovation related to materials, foods, medicines, and so on. This book identifies the nature and magnitude of the nanotechnology divide between high-income countries and the rest of the world. It also studies the determinants of the evolution and functioning of state policy and technology clusters in developed regions like the USA and the EU in order to identify the strategies that can or cannot be replicated elsewhere. Tracing the trajectories in nanotechnology being carved out by four emerging countries: China, India, Brazil and Mexico, it identifies common as well as country-specific factors that influence the rates of return to public and private investment related to nanotechnology in emerging countries. The book also makes policy recommendations to bridge the nanotechnology divide while promoting economic growth and inclusive development.List of contributors; List of figures; List of tables; Acknowledgments; Part I. Introduction to Nanotechnology and Participation of Developing Countries: 1. On nanoscience, nanotechnology, and nanoproducts: why everyone wants to join this game? Susan E. Reid, Roger Coronini and Shyama V. Ramani; Part II. Winning and Losing in Nanotech: Case Studies from Developed Countries: 2. Learning from solyndra: changing paradigms in the US innovation system Christopher Newfield and Daryl Boudreaux; 3. How is a regional technology cluster created? Insight from the construction of the nanotech cluster in Grenoble Dominique Vinck and Shyama V. Ramani; 4. Co-patenting networks in nanotechnology: a comparison of South Korea and Germany Ad Notten and Shyama V. Ramani; Part III. Placing Bets on Nanotech: Case Studies of Emerging Countries: 5. Sure bet or mirage? On the Chinese trajectory in nanotechnology Can Huang and Yilin Wu; 6. Dancing with the scientists or how NST emerged in Brazil Nedson Campos; 7. NST without NII? The Mexican case study Eduardo Robles Belmont and Rebeca de Gortari Rabiela; 8. On India's plunge into nanotechnology: what are good ways to catch-up? Shyama V. Ramani, Nupur Chowdhury, Roger Coronini and Susan E. Reid; Part IV. Conclusions: 9. Nanotech after biotech in emerging economies: dej... vu or a new form of catching up? Shyama V. Ramani and Jorge Niosi; Index.