Small Times CEO to nanotech industry: Compartmentalize
Small Times CEO Patti Glaza writes: “The nanotechnology industry needs to be able to compartmentalize itself, so that if and when the first widespread negative impact of nanotechnology is felt, people only demand the end to the harmful (or perceived harmful) applications and not demand the end of beneficial forms of nanotechnology too.” Indeed. Companies may want to think twice before putting “nano” in their name, for instance. Some firms choose not to use the term nanotechnology at all — it has upsides, but at least one or two potential downsides as well.
June 27th, 2005 at 7:01 AM
The nanotech industry (if there is such a thing) has no incentive to “compartmentalize” itself. The firms working on the applications which are most likely to garner negative attention want to blend in with the rest of the industry so as not to take on all of the risk themselves. Furthermore, nobody is entirely sure which applications are going to receive public backlash, so who is going to try to “compartmentalize” the industry? For most of the giant corporations working on nanotech, any public outcry will have little effect on their bottom line.
June 29th, 2005 at 11:59 PM
I’m not sure what it means for an industry to compartmentalize itself, but I certainly agree with Patti’s comment that companies should be careful as to how, when, and where they associate their name with nano. I disagree that public outcry will have no effect on the bottom line of large corporations, especially if that outcry is followed up by class action lawsuits, even if the scientific information beyond the lawsuits proves to be incorrect or to lack certainty. Ask Dow Corning. I would advise that, where nanoparticles might get into our bodies or into the environment, companies should resist the temptation to put a nano brand on the box. Stick to citing the benefits. Where nanotech is in use in a process, such as nanofiltration to purify liquids or to separate out other hazards, for example, that capability can be advertised. I expect most of the health and environmental effects to be benign, but, as Kevin writes, no one really knows at this point.