EAG Report on Future RTD of NMP
2.2.4 Comparative Global Investment in Nanotechnology The nanotechnology research base is strong in Europe (particularly in nanomaterials and nanobiotechnology). A major factor in this achievement has been the EU’s strong public funding of nanotechnology research. In 2008, EU research spending on nanotechnology from all public sources was $2.6 billion (some 30% of the world total) compared with $1.6 billion in the US and some $2.8 billion in Asia.8 There are strong nanotech public sector funding programmes in Germany, France and the UK. The 7th Framework Programme will in addition allocate an average of €0.5 billion per year in funding for Nanosciences, nanotechnologies, materials & new production technologies. In Europe, over 240 research centres and 800 companies dedicated to the R&D of nanotechnology have been identified9 (see also Figure 2.5 below). As an additional comparison, the US National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) plans10 to maintain the US’s current rate of investment as for the foreseeable future as follows: 2008: $1,549 million (effective) 2009: $1,654 million + $140 million {from ARRA stimulus} (estimated) 2010: Request: $1,636 million Private R&D investment amounts to only $1.7 billion in Europe compared to $2.7 in the US and $2.8 billion in Asia11 and is consistent with general trend shown in Figure 2.2. Hence, corrective action via policy measures and perhaps enhanced investment in NMP activities beyond FP7 may be necessary to ensure Europe converts excellence in research into value adding goods, services, jobs and competitive positions in growth industrial sectors The market size for nanotechnology amounted to $147 billion in 2007 and is expected to grow to $1 trillion12 and possibly over $3 trillion by 2015.13 The United States constitute the biggest market for nanotechnology (40%) in 2007, followed by Europe (31%). Both regions are expected to amount to 35% of the worldwide market in 2015. As today, the majority of global sales will be attributed to manufacturing and materials (over 55%), followed by electronics and IT (over 23%). About 2 million nanotechnology workers will be needed worldwide by 2015. Almost 50% of these jobs are expected to be created in the US with Europe’s share amounting to less than 25%.14 Within Europe and the US, investment in nanotechnology research has led to the emergence of metropolitan nanodistricts15. The scale of activity can be measured by publications and patents and data for Europe is given in Figure 2.5 below. The Importance of large facilities, such as synchrotron radiation, laser and neutron scattering has been recognised by all major global trading blocks for supporting competitive advanced materials research. The EU’s GENNSYS16 White Paper provides a systematic review of Europe’s specialist facilities and their importance to its manufacturing industry base as a major step in opening up access to researchers across the EU and facilitating support to cooperative projects.
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Lux Research Inc.(2009): “Nanomaterials of the Market Q1 2009: Cleantech’s Dollar Investments, Penny Returns” Conseil Economique et Social – France (2008) : "Les nanotechnologies" and AFSSET (2008):"Les nanomatériaux: sécurité au travail" 10 Personal communication to the NMP EAG Chair, from Professor Mike Roco, US NSF and NNI Senior Advisor, 29 May 2009 11 Lux Research Inc.(2009): “Nanomaterials of the Market Q1 2009: Cleantech’s Dollar Investments, Penny Returns” 12 National Science Foundation estimates see Red Herring (2001): “The Biotech Boom: the view from here”. 13 Lux Research Inc. (2009): “Nanomaterials of the Market Q1 2009: Cleantech’s Dollar Investments, Penny Returns”. 14 Roco, M.C. (2003): "Broader societal issues of nanotechnology", Journal of nanoparticle research, Vol. 5, No.3-4, pp. 353-360. 15 Shapira P., Youtie J. and Carley S., Prototypes of emerging metropolitan nanodistricts in the US & Europe (forthcoming, Les Annees, 2009) 9
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