Like electricity, nanotechnology is a General Purpose Technology (GPT); the use of nanotechnologies in electrical and electronic equipment therefore harbours unprecedented potential:
- For energy considerations alone, nanotechnology already delivers solutions ranging from the provision of economically viable production processes of renewable energies, to the replacement of proven toxic substances, such as mercury, form energy saving lighting, to the introduction of lighter, stronger material in transport vehicles, to the use of cost-effective ‘ulta-capacitors’.
- In the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), nanotechnology is instrumental in solving some of the most fundamental challenges faced: while traditional approaches to ICT manufacture are currently pushed to their fundamental physical limits, the incorporation of nanomaterials in ICT systems allows extension of conventional ICT platforms and enables new innovations and technologies beyond the current platforms.
