THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF NANO-SCALE TECHNOLOGIES ON

0,55

MB

COMMODITY MARKETS: THE IMPLICATIONS FOR COMMODITY

71

stron

DEPENDENT DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

4288

ID

Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration

2006

rok

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary. vii

I. INTRODUCTION. 1

II. TECHNOLOGY AND COMMODITY TRADE: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE 3

II.1 The Food Exchanges 3

II.2 Multi-sourcing Biodiversity. 3

II.3 Dyeing Harvests. 4

II.4 Synthetic Reductions . 4

II.5. Multi-Material Sourcing 5

II.6 Lessons Learned?. 5

III. NANOTECHNOLOGY 8

III.1 What is Nanotechnology? 8

III.1.1 The scale of matter manipulated using nano-scale technologies 9

III.1.2 The changed behaviour of matter at the nano-scale. 9

III.1.3 Nano-scale technologies enable technological convergence 10

III.1.4 “Bottom-Up” Manufacturing . 11

III.2 Potential Risks of Nanoparticles 13

III.3 Trends in Intellectual Property and Nanotechnology: Implications for Developing Countries 15

III.3.1 Nanotech Patent Trends 17

III.3.2 Patents on nanotech’s fundamental building blocks and tools. 18

III.3.3 Cross-industry Patent Claims. 20

III.3.4 Nanobiotech Patents . 20

III.3.5 Role of Public Sector Universities in Nanotech IP . 21

IV. THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR COMMODITY DEPENDENT

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES . 23

IV.1 Will Nanotech Address Human Development Needs in the Developing World? . 24

IV.1.1 Nano-Water 25

IV.1.2 Nano-Energy 26

IV.2 What Roles do Developing Countries Currently Play in Nanotech R&D? 26

IV.3 Impacts on Trade and Commodity Markets. 27

IV.3.1 A First Look to the Potential Impacts of Nano-scale Technologies 28

IV.3.2 Case Studies 31

VI. CONCLUSION. 42

VI. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS. 44

VI.1 Promote Early Warning/Early Listening Strategies in Technology Monitoring and Assessment

44

VI.2 Increasing the Participation of Commodity Dependent Developing Countries in Nanotech

Governance . 44

APPENDIX 46

GLOSSARY . 52

BIBLIOGRAPHY 55

ACRONYMS

AITPA Asociación Industrial Textil de Proceso Algodonero

CAS Chinese Academy of Sciences

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity

CSD Commission on Sustainable Development

CSTD UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development