Armin Grunwald
Nano Technology Assessment

Vortrag auf dem Internationalen Workshop „Risk Governance of Nanotechnologies“ Wien, Österreich, 25.09.2007


Abstract

Nanotechnology has found early interest in Technology Assessment (TA), in the related social sciences, and in philosophy. Reflecting upon this new technology field in a very early stage of development is regarded as a great chance to exert influence on the further course of development. In the last years, approx. since 2002, a broad field of TA and TA-related research has been established: ELSI studies (ethical, legal and social implications), culturalist approaches, risk research, roadmaps, STS studies, ethical inquiry and others. In a certain sense, the well-known "nano-hype" in the sciences and in politics was followed by a hype in the research fields looking at the relation between nanotech and society.

In this lecture I will first give a broad overview about the field. Secondly, I will focus on a more specific issue of "Nano Technology Assessment": in dealing with the relation of nanotech and society it became clear that the ways of conceptualising and assessing "futures" is at the core of any TA in this field. The role of visions, utopias, fears and desires has been shown to be essential to understand the relation of new technologies and society in an early stage of development. Finally, I will attempt to show some further perspectives for Nano Technology Assessment.


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