Nanotechnology and the millennium development goals: water, energy, and agri-food

被引:19
|
作者
Cozzens, Susan [1 ]
Cortes, Rodrigo [2 ]
Soumonni, Ogundiran [3 ]
Woodson, Thomas [1 ]
机构
[1] Georgia Inst Technol, Technol Policy & Assessment Ctr, Sch Publ Policy, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA
[2] Univ Talca, Talca, Chile
[3] Univ Witwatersrand, Wits Business Sch, Johannesburg, South Africa
基金
美国国家科学基金会;
关键词
Millennium development goals; Water; Energy; Agri-food; BIOTECHNOLOGY;
D O I
10.1007/s11051-013-2001-y
中图分类号
O6 [化学];
学科分类号
0703 ;
摘要
The claim has often been made that nanotechnologies will contribute to the global development process. In 2005, a careful study identified specific areas where nanotechnologies could help developing countries achieve the millennium development goals. This article examines whether the research agenda of nanotechnology in the intervening period, as reflected in publications, has followed the directions identified at that time, in three key areas, water, energy, and agri-food. We find that the research community has taken up the broad directions indicated in the earlier study, although not so often the detailed applications of specific nanoscale techniques or phenomena. However, the impact on global development is unclear, both because the same applications can be useful in both developed and developing countries, and because the conditions in developing countries may not match the socio-technical requirements of the applications.
引用
收藏
页数:14
相关论文
共 50 条