Nanoscale will increasingly have an impact on numerous commercial, military and space aero-applications. I covered nano military applications in a column last year and will cover that subject again sometime later this year. I would like to review non-military aerospace applications here.

CANEUS is described as the world's foremost international conference on Micro-Nano-Technology (MNT) development for aerospace applications. According to its webpage , the conference deals with the challenges of rapidly and efficiently transitioning aerospace MNT development from a low technology-readiness-level (TRL) to system-level implementations based on an integrated "cradle-to-grave" approach.

The webpage describes CANEUS stakeholders as:

• the low-TRL research and development community;
• the mid- and high-TRL system developer community;
• end-users from the aerospace and defense sectors;
• the private investment community, consisting of venture capitalists and investors;
• government investors in CANEUS member countries;
• government policy makers for cross-border collaborations;and
• scientists, engineers, program managers, investors and policy-makers from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, representing these MNT stakeholder communities.

The conference covers such topics as:

• emerging MNT concepts (low TRL);
• MNT system development (mid TRL);
• mature systems and dub-dystems (high TRL);
• end-user needs and perspectives);
• investment perspectives and roadmaps; and
• governmental policies affecting coordinated, joint international development of aerospace MNT.

Nanowerk reported recently that CANEUS has launched a "pre-seed" fund to provide partial funding for system-level development projects recommended by the CANEUS Board. Contributors gain privileged access to downstream investment opportunities. The fund description is posted on the CANEUS website. A NATO lecture series has been developed on nanotechnology aerospace applications. Interestingly, a paper published in 1999 covered the application of molecular nanotechnology in aerospace.

The Open-Site free internet encyclopedia has a write-up about the purpose, needs, problems and solutions of nanotechnology research for aerospace.

The most complete publicly available report on nanotechnology applications in non-military aerospace was published recently by the Nanoforum. It says this Nanotechnology in Aerospace report “presents a concise introduction and contribution to the expert debate on trends in nanomaterials and nanotechnologies for applications in the civil aeronautics and space sectors in Europe and explicitly excludes any military R&D and applications.”

The following table reports timelines and expected trends. Table entries refer to chapters in the report.

Nanotechnology is everywhere, and every area deserves our attention. Advances made in nano related to aerospace will find their way into other areas and vice versa. It is essential that every area be monitored -- for its own sake and for its potential impact on other fields.

Gregor Wolbring is a biochemist, bioethicist, disability/vari-ability/ability studies scholar, and health policy and science and technology governance researcher at the University of Calgary. He is a member of the Center for Nanotechnology and Society at Arizona State University; Part Time Professor at Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, Canada; Member CAC/ISO - Canadian Advisory Committees for the International Organization for Standardization section TC229 Nanotechnologies; Member of the editorial team for the Nanotechnology for Development portal of the Development Gateway Foundation; Chair of the Bioethics Taskforce of Disabled People's International; and former Member of the Executive of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (2003-2007 maximum terms served). He publishes the Bioethics, Culture and Disability website, moderates a weblog for the International Network for Social Research on Disability, and authors a weblog on NBICS and its social implications.

© Gregor Wolbring, All Rights Reserved, 2008. Please contact the author for permission to reprint.