The not-for-profit National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), Ann Arbor, Mich., partnered with the National Science Foundation (NSF), Arlington, Va., under the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) to conduct its fourth study of trends in nanotechnology and nanofabrication. Due to the importance of the subject to U.S. national interests, NCMS is polling a broad cross-section of stakeholders to help policymakers assess the cross-sector economic impact of the NNI.
The goal of the current 2014 study is to document best practices in nanoenabled product development and integration, and to identify the challenges organizations (such as academia, government labs, start-ups, or established large manufacturers) face in transitioning nanoscale advances from the laboratory into sustainable commercial applications. Individual responses are kept confidential and will only be used in the aggregate for statistical reporting—all participants will have the opportunity to preview the results prior to public release of NCMS’ report.
