Aim of the Nano Science and Information Technology Forward Look
The emergence of nanotechnologies together with the maturity of other technologies (silicon for instance) will make possible new and potentially disruptive functionalities in the domain of data handling, storage and communication. These will encourage the emergence of new products, which could have a major impact on our lives. The aims of this forward look are three fold:
1) Identify the possible impact of present-day research and forecast the important research topics of the next 10 years.
What are the fundamental scientific barriers to be overcome in advancing information technology? After electromagnetism, and mechanics (relay), electron physics (vacuum tubes), solid state physics (transistors and IC), information theory and informatics (development of computers) what will be “relevant” research? What will the important issues be?
After one century of continuous increases through three changes of paradigms (relay, tube, transistors, integrated circuits), computing power with existing technologies, and storage capacity is expected to reach a plateau. Are there serious competitors to overcome the limitations of present technology and allow access to the petaflop, petabyte regime?
Which new systems of information handling could emerge from present research (for instance molecular electronics, use of spins or photons, bio mimetic systems, quantum information)? What are the expected challenges (manufacturing, architecture,..)?
What are the challenges for software developments?
2) Discuss the impact of these developments
What is the role of the market and user behaviour in pulling these developments (large R&D developments, especially the transfer from research laboratory to industry, must aim to give birth to products with a market).
What completely new uses can be produced by the increase in capacity of information systems?
What new ethical issues are raised by these developments: For instance, the limitation of privacy, the increased role of virtual features, the emergence of artificial cognition?
3) Discuss policy issues
What is the current and future European research landscape and what are the possible gaps?
How to organize the micro-nano transition in industry?
What could be suggested for the future on topics such as:
Organization
Major tasks (to develop a promising new paradigm, to tackle pluridisciplinarity),
Infrastructures (clean rooms, others….)
Education
To answer these questions a NSIT meeting was held 4-7 April 2005 in Paris. The output of this exercise will be recommendations to national and European research funding agencies, an ESF policy briefing, and an extensive report.
Programme
For the programme and list of speakers click here.
