Revamped CORDIS service on nanotechnology reflects huge importance of the very small
CORDIS, the Community Research and Development Information Service, has launched a newly revamped information service on 'nanotechnology', bringing together news and information from diverse sources on developments in technologies based on nano-scale engineering. Nanotechnology applications include health care, information and communication technologies, materials sciences, manufacturing, instrumentation, energy, security and space. Reflecting this growing importance, the European Commission held a public consultation on the future of nanotechnology in Europe, following its communication 'Towards a European strategy for nanotechnology' in May 2004. An action plan is in preparation, and initiatives in this area have been coordinated via the Irish and Dutch Presidencies, as well as the NanoForum, an EU sponsored thematic network for the business, scientific and social communities. The CORDIS Nanotechnology service is a thematic resource covering relevant activities both within and outside the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). Featuring a new navigation menu for ease of use, the service's sections have been reorganised to reflect the growing importance of the science of the very small. Sections of the service cover EU funding and international cooperation in research on these technologies. A section on financing and innovation has been expanded to include the various sources of finance available to transform research in this area into the new products and services that will help to further Europe's strategic goals in the context of the Lisbon agenda. As in many aspects of the EU's ambitions to be the most competitive knowledge-based economy, human resources are key. A newly integrated section on 'education and mobility' links career information for researchers in this area. The section includes educational material aimed not only at encouraging young people to consider research careers in this field, but also at addressing public concerns about consequences for health and the environment. The service includes announcements of new publications and upcoming events in this rapidly growing area, as well as a press room with other news and announcements. Press releases of interest to the service can be submitted via the CORDIS Wire service at: cordis.europa.eu/wire