Structure of the NSIT workshop
1. Possible impact of present day research and forecasting the important research topics in the next 10 years . Part one: Fundamental science
This encompasses fundamental research themes which are the basis for long term innovation. The aim is to discuss briefly the state of the art, discuss the main issues and bottlenecks. Seven domains are considered:
Molecular electronics (handling information with molecular size elements)
Quantum information (entangled qubits for transmission, storage, computing)
Spintronics (considering the spin of electrons as data)
Photonics (fundamental process with photons which could be exploited for computing, data transmission, storage)
Bio neuro electronics (interfacing neurons with information systems, architectures mimicking neurons)
MEMS/NEMS (basic issues related to micro nanomechanical systems for information handling or actuators)
Fundamental issues and ultimate CMOS (physical bottlenecks to achieve small size transistors)
2. Possible impact of present day research and forecasting the important research topics in the next 10 years . Part two: Technical challenges
This part deals with expected advances in various fields as a result of fundamental research as well as technology. Five areas are considered:
Storage of information (multiterabyte storages)
Information processing (limits of silicon, is there a life after silicium ?)
Information transfer (advances in data transmission: high flow rate, wireless)
Smart interfaces (sensors, smart human machine interfaces, neural connections)
Software (new possibilities offered by terabyte/teraflops, “cognition”, new paradigms,...)
3. Discuss the impact of these developments: IT for all
This encompasses non-technical topics closely related to the development of nanotechnologies:
Industrial and marketing aspects (what type of products enabled by new technologies will emerge; what could be the demand ?)
User aspects (what is a smart interface (ergonomy of products, cognitive aspects, behaviour of consumer), what type of service is expected, defense, what changes in our habits..)
IT everywhere (point of view of industry)
Ethics safety/risk (new issues: privacy, merging of synthetic and actual videos, new types of delinquency...)
4. Policy issues
This encompasses non-technical topics closely related to the development of nanotechnologies:
Public funding (benchmarking of national policies, European policy)
Industrial funding
US and Japan
