Background for the programme
The Research Council of Norway’s 10-year, Programme on Nanotechnology and New Materials (NANOMAT), part of the Large-scale Programme initiative, is drawing to a close at the end of the 2011. It will be replaced by the NANO2021 programme, which is being launched in keeping with the priorities set out in the government white paper on research and the national strategy for nanotechnology, among other key documents. The NANO2021 programme is also designed as a 10-year large-scale programme and will run from 2012 through 2021. As its name indicates, the programme encompasses the areas of nanoscience, nanotechnology, microtechnology and advanced materials.

Focus and further development
The NANO2021 programme will foster concentrated, integrated research activities to further enhance the expertise, quality and capacity built up by Norway’s R&D community in the field of nanotechnology during the past decade, in part through activities under the NANOMAT programme.

The programme promotes fundamental knowledge and responsible technological development as a basis for innovation and for tackling wide-ranging societal challenges relating to energy, the environment, health, food, the marine sector and use of natural resources. This entails ensuring that new knowledge and technology are utilised to the benefit of society. Importance will therefore be attached to research on issues relating to health, safety and environment (HSE) and risk, as well as on ethical, legal and social aspects (ELSA) of the development and application of nanotechnology.

The programme also focuses on promoting researcher mobility, interaction between research groups and industry players, and national and international research cooperation. The Norwegian Government’s new national strategy for nanotechnology (to be launched in spring 2012) will provide the framework for further targeting of research topics, focus areas and priorities under the programme and for the ultimate design of the work programme, which will be finalised in the course of 2012.

The NANO2021 programme webpages are currently under construction.

(Translation: Victoria Coleman/Carol B. Eckmann)