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Introduction
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Cross-cutting themes
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Sectors
Public and Stakeholder Dialogue
The effects of nanotechnologies will be felt across so many different sectors and aspects of life. Consequently there is wide interest in the way in which they are developed and managed. Government has tried to coordinate its own activities and ensure that the views of the public and other stakeholders inform its policies.
Enabling the sort of public dialogue that will inform decision making is a significant challenge. It is particularly difficult in respect of nanotechnologies because of their complexity and the fact that they will be a component of a wide range of applications. As decision makers need to make judgements on the basis of inadequate information and high levels of uncertainty, it is important that public engagement addresses the acceptability of decision making processes in such circumstances.
The Government has funded a programme of public dialogue, to seek to understand the aspirations and concerns of the public. Feedback from that dialogue led to the production of a Statement about the full range and purpose of the UK’s publicly funded activities. It has also led to Government funding for a pilot online project to test what information the public needs on nanotechnologies and how more continuous public dialogue might be facilitated. The results of that project will feed into the development of the UK strategy for nanotechnologies.
More specific dialogue has also been undertaken by the Research Councils and the consumer organisation Which?
Through the Nanotechnologies Stakeholder Forum, the Government shares information and discusses policy options with a range of stakeholders from academia, industry and NGOs. The forum meets quarterly and is open to the public.
Your views
We would welcome your views on how the UK can engage in dialogue on the implications (health, safety, environmental, social, ethical) and benefits of developments in nanotechnologies. The SWOT analysis below summarises Government understanding, from discussion with stakeholders, of the major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the UK in this area. This (and the questions to the right hand side) is intended to help you think about the issues and steer future actions and shape the UK nano environment.
Strengths
The UK has been one of the first countries to engage in public dialogue over science and technology and the issues they raise. It has learned much from the public dialogue on nanotechnologies and is using that knowledge both to inform policy decisions and to improve future methods of dialogue. Its open, collaborative approach, for example through the Nanotechnologies Stakeholder Forum, has also helped to avert major campaigns against the use of nanotechnologies in the UK.
Weaknesses
The slow progress on understanding (and managing) potential risks makes informed assessment and discussion of potential risks difficult. As does the lack of information about what the industry is developing and what the benefits and concerns might be. Because public dialogue is very expensive, it is unlikely that individual businesses and decision makers will be able or willing to undertake it on an ongoing basis.
Opportunities
The UK has already demonstrated innovative ways of engaging in dialogue with the public and stakeholders but there is scope for improving and innovating further. In particular, there is scope for industry to generate public confidence (and thus market share) by engaging (perhaps collectively) in genuine dialogue about product development. Food security would be a good area to do this.
Threats
A lack of public confidence could hinder our ability to use nanotechnologies to deal with major societal challenges such as climate change or to market certain products. Uncertainty over the methodologies and approaches could also limit the value of, and confidence in, the outcomes of public engagement.
