Its always good to keep nanotechnology spending in perspective. For many involved in nanotechnology, the annual, billion dollars or euros is a big number, but Arthur van der Poel, chairman of MEDEA+, the pan-European microelectronics R&D programme disagrees.
van der Poel recently pointed out that the 1bn spent on promoting innovation in the ICT sector, comparable to the annual billion dollars for nanotechnology, is paltry compared to the 45bn spent by the EU on supporting agriculture. About 1bn is also spent supporting the tobacco industry. “The fact that we do this is something for debate,” says van der Poel.
In light of the debate and controversy surrounding nanotechnology, we have to agree. We are not too far from the days of wine lakes and butter mountains, corruption and incomprehensible waste that plagued European agricultural policy in the past.