The world faces unprecedented global challenges related to depleting natural resources, pollution,climate change, clean water, and poverty. These problems are directly linked to the physical characteristicsof our current technology base for producing energy and material products. Deep and pervasive changesin this technology base can address these global problems at their most fundamental, physical level,by changing both the products and the means of production used by 21st century civilization. The key
development is advanced, atomically precise manufacturing (APM).
This report examines the potential for nanotechnology to enable deeply transformative productiontechnologies that can be developed through a series of advances that build on current nanotechnologyresearch. The report has five sections:
1. Nanotechnology and global challenge
The first section discusses the basics of advanced, atomically precise nanotechnology andexplains how current and future solutions can help address global challenges. Key conceptsare presented and different kinds of nanotechnology are discussed and compared.
2. The birth of Nanotechnology
The second section discusses the development of nanotechnology, from the first vision
fifty years ago, expanding via a scientific approach to atomically precise manufacturing
thirty years ago, initial demonstrations of principle twenty years ago, to the last decade
of of accelerating success in developing key enabling technologies. The important role
of emerging countries is discussed, with China as a leading example, together with an
overview of the contrast between the promise and the results to date.
3. Delivery of transformative nanotechnologies
Here the different aspects of APM that are needed to enable breakthrough advances in
productive technologies are discussed. The necessary technology base can be developedthrough a series of coordinated advances along strategically chosen lines of research.
4. Accelerating progress toward advanced nanotechnologies
This section discusses research initiatives that can enable and support advanced
nanotechnology, on paths leading to APM, including integrated cross-disciplinary research
and Identification of high-value applications and their requirements.
5. Possible next steps
The final section provides a short summary of the opportunities and the possibilities to
address institutional challenges of planning, resource allocation, evaluation, transparency,and collaboration as nanotechnology moves into its next phase of development:nanosystems engineering.
