Nanotechnology in Development:

A Solution to World Poverty?

Edgar Zayago Lau
Doctoral Candidate in IDS
Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Mexico.
Member of the Latin American Network on Nanotechnology and Society (ReLANS)
www.estudiosdeldesarrollo.net/relans
edzlau@yahoo.com
 Nano What?
Is a unit of length in the metric system,
• Nanoscale equal to one billionth of a metre or one
millionth of a millimetre

Diameter of Thickness of a
HIV Virus
carbon nanotube bacteria
(90nm)
(1nm) (20nm)
 What is Nanotechnology?
* the engineering of functional systems at the
molecular scale

* the manipulation of matter at the nanometric scale to manufacture

new molecular structures from known materials

* “... the creation of functional materials, devices and systems through control of matter on the
nanometer length scale (1-100 nanometers), and exploitation of novel phenomena and properties
(physical, chemical, biological, mechanical, electrical...) at that length scale. [...] A scientific and technical
revolution has just begun based upon the ability to systematically organize and manipulate matter at
nanoscale. Payoff is anticipated within the next 10-15 years”
(NASA, 2007). http://www.ipt.arc.nasa.gov/nanotechnology.html
Is the next industrial revolution?
Bottom-up vs top-down
manufacturing

Disruptive capacity of nanotechnology

Biological and non-biological materials

 Short History of Nanotechnology
(1959) Richard P. Feynman talk: There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom

(1974) Norio Taniguchi coined the term “nanotechnology”

(1987) Eric Drexler publishes the book “Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of
Nanotechnology”

(1990) IBM logo spelled in individual xenon atoms

(1997) First Company Founded: Zyvex; First design of Nanorobotic system

(2000) Clinton Announces “The National Nanotechnology Initiative”

(2001) The US Armed Forces create the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies:
Nanotechnology for the Soldier System
(2005) Nanotechnology for the Poor: University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics (UTJCB)
and the Task Force on Science, Technology and Innovation of the United Nations Millennium
Project
(2007) Albert Fert and German Peter Grünberg winners of Nobel Prize. “Giant
Magnetoresistance can also be considered one of the first real applications of the promising
field of nanotechnology”. www.nobelprize.org
Nanotechnology Laboratory
 Current Trends

Source: Lux Research (2007) Nanomaterial Forecast: Volumes and Applications.

 Current Trends

Source: Científica (2007). Half Way to the Trillion-Dollar Market?

A Critical Review of the Diffusion of Nanotechnologies.
 Current Trends
Exports in Latin
America almost reached
US$ 500,000 million in
2004

Source: Científica (2007). Half Way to the Trillion-Dollar Market?

A Critical Review of the Diffusion of Nanotechnologies.
 Current Trends
Nanotechnology Market Evolution 2006-2015

Aero & Defence

Automotive
Chemical
Conglomerate
$ Trillion USD

Food
Pharma / Healthcare

Source: Científica (2007). Half Way to the Trillion-Dollar Market? A Critical

Review of the Diffusion of Nanotechnologies.
 Current Trends
Major corporate nano-developers and traders
Computers/electronics: IBM, NEC, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Phillips, Hewlett Packard, Samsung,
Motorola, Mitsubishi, General Electric, Microsoft

Food: Kraft/Altria, Unilever, Nestle, Heinz, Sara Lee

Drugs/healthcare: GlaxoSmithKline, Smith and Nephew, Merck

Oil: BP, Exxon, Chevron/Texaco, Shell, Halliburton

Clothing: Burlington Industries, Nike, Gap

Defence/aerospace: Sandia/Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Qinetiq, Raytheon

Cosmetics: L'Oreal, Body Shop, Boots

Chemicals: Dupont, Degussa, Dow, Henkel, ICI

Agriculture: Syngenta, Monsanto, Bayer

Current Trends: Some Examples
Current
Trends:
Some
Examples
Current Trends: Some Examples

L’Oreal's Plenitude line of cosmetics

contains nanocapsules, which help
active ingredients get to the skin's
deeper layers. The nanocapsules are
also in L'Oreal's higher-end brands
such as Lancome
Current Trends: Some Examples
Current Trends Some Examples:
“Nutriceuticals”
Current Trends: Some Examples
Current Trends: Some Examples
 Current Trends: Some Examples

”Formidable Warrior in an Invincible

Team, able to See First, Understand First,
Act First, & Finish Decisively”. (NSRDEC,
2007) www.natick.army.mil/soldier/WSIT/

“Nanotechnology fits into this vision in two important ways.

First, it offers the potential for miniaturization, a key part of
reducing weight. Today’s hefty radio worn on a harness might be
reduced to a button-sized tab on the collar. And a waterproof
poncho could be replaced by a permanent nano-thin coating
applied to everything the soldier carries. Second, because
nanotechnology operates at length scales where classical
Newtonian physics breaks down, it offers engineers the
potential for creating unprecedented new materials properties
and devices.” Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, MIT (2007)
www.web.mit.edu/ISN/aboutisn/index.html
Nanotechnology for Development:
The Current Debate

The Neutral

Vs

Contextual Approach
 The Neutral Position:
The Knowledge Economy
Industrialization via Innovation
Nanotechnology East Asian Tigers: Transferable
lessons?

Competitiveness

Economic Growth

The Knowledge Economy: Development

World Development Report 1999
Knowledge for Development
 The Neutral Position
Benefits for the poor: energy/ agricultural productivity/ water
treatment /diagnosis of diseases

“Nanotechnology is likely to be particularly important in the

developing world, because it involves little labor, land, or
maintenance; it is highly productive and inexpensive; and it
requires only modest amounts of materials and energy.
Nanotechnology products will be extremely productive, as
energy producers, as materials collectors, and as manufacturing
equipment” (Task Force on Science, Technology and Innovation of the United
Nations Millennium Project, Juma & Yee-Cheong, 2005, p. 70).
 The Neutral Position
Nanotechnology could help to achieve at
least 5 of the 8
Millennium Development Goals
The University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics (UTJCB) (Salamanca-
Buentello, et al., 2005)

* Organizers of the North-South Dialogue on

Nanotechnology/UNIDO (2005)

* G8 meeting in Scotland (2005)

 The Contextual Position
Nanotechnology is shaped according to the socioeconomic context/ social relations/
historical moment (ETC Group, 2005) (Foladori e Invernizzi, 2005) (Foladori; Rushton and
Zayago, 2008 forthcoming) (Meridian Institute, 2005)

Issues to consider:
- Raw material substitution (impacts on exports and employment)

-May increase technological dependency

-Research agendas focused on competitiveness, not on social needs

-Patent Regulation (WIPO)

-Health and environmental risks

-Lack of public information, debate and participation in decision making

-Weak regulation in developing countries

-Macro-economic success less poor? Mexican Case

 The Contextual Position
“Even if opportunities related to nanotechnology are identified
and environmental and human health risks are appropriately
evaluated and managed, there is still a risk that small minorities
of people will benefit from its opportunities, while large
majorities, mainly in the developing world, will not … In fact,
nanotechnology could be a major problem for poorer countries
if it makes their labor, commodities, and other exports less
necessary in the global market” (Meridian Institute, 2005, p.10).
Risks: Example
Risks: Example
Risks: Example
 Nanotechnology for the Poor

- Encourage the dialogue between Social and “Hard” Scientists

- Review the social relations behind technology development

- Review the competitiveness argument

-Constructive Technology Assessment (CTA) in the context of

developing countries
 Nanotechnology for the Poor

After a couple of decades of intense technological innovation

(microelectronics, ICT, biotechnology) ......

“The era of globalization has been marked by dramatic advances

in technology, trade and investment—and an impressive increase
in prosperity. Gains in human development have been less
impressive. Large parts of the developing world are being left
behind. Human development gaps between rich and poor
countries, already large, are widening”. (UNDP, HDR 2005, p.19)
Nanotechnology in Development:
A Solution to World Poverty?

Thank you
Questions? / Comments
edzlau@yahoo.com
www.estudiosdeldesarrollo.net/relans