Interdisciplinarity in biotechnology, genomics and nanotechnology

In this paper we study developments in biotechnology, genomics and nanotechnology in the period 1998-2008. The fields show changing interdisciplinary characteristics in relation to distinct co-evolutionary dynamics in research, science and society. Biotechnology emerged as a discipline in publication patterns at the same time as the number of biotechnology departments increased, whereas genomics emerged as a stable discipline, while the number of genomics departments declined. Nanotechnology maintains an interdisciplinary journal citation pattern while the number of nanotechnology departments increased. In all three fields the importance of industry university collaborations increased, albeit to different degrees. Patterns of interdisciplinarity can thus be distinguished, as different ways in which the three dynamics co-evolve. From a governance perspective, this conceptualization provides distinct rationales for policy interventions in relation to interdisciplinarity in research, science and society.