Last Wednesday President Vladimir Putin announced a $1B initiative to fund nanotech research and aid companies with investments in the science. The money would also help transform the Kurchatov nuclear institute into the hub for Russian nanotech research. The initiative stems from Russia's massive oil and gas export and is intended, according to Minister Sergei Ivanov, to diversify an economy now heavily dependent on raw materials. The money is in addition to the approximately $5.8B that Russia has already devoted to nanotech research.
Ivanov, who will head the budgeting of the nanotechnology initiative, predicted that 90% of the money will go to fund civilian applications, with the rest going toward the military. Putin added that “No doubt, nanotechnologies will become a key industry for the creation of ultra-modern and ultra-effective offensive and defensive weapons, as well as means of communications.”
This last quote certainly compels concern, especially given the strained relations between the United States and Russia as of late. With all the attention being given to the health concerns of domestic nanotechnology manufacturing, it seems that the threat of nanotech-enabled weaponry has been overshadowed.
Below are some links to articles regarding nanoweapons:
CRNano.com
Janes.com
Newsmax.com
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3 comments:
This is a race to maintain our technological supremacy, and the U.S. governnment had better view this challenge like it did Sputnik... this is the future
It's more pressing than Sputnik because there are other players other than the Russians in this technological race. Back in '57 it was just the U.S. and the USSR... now it's the U.S., China, India, the EUC and others....
Given the paucity of PhDs in many scientific and technological fields I am surpised Bush has not declared a similar "space race" challenge on new frontiers like nanotechnology. But then again it is Bush....
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