Challenges in Managing Nanotechnology Innovations
NT offers a plethora of new materials for different industries and industry sectors. Though public perception is generally supportive of NT, some risk analysis of the potential long‐term effects of green routed manufactured nanomaterials in human food is required. In different industry sectors, the exposure risk would relate to different aspects and it is a challenge to the scientist and engineers as well as local governments while managing the NT innovations. This also needs to arrange some public awareness to explain the uses of NT by all industry sectors to explain the benefits and risks to the consumers. The exact number of available nanomaterials naturally available as well as man‐made in the environment including the oceans are not understood and the fate and behavior of manufactured nanomaterials in important systems, such as the oceans, are poorly understood. The design of nanomaterials should be according to the principles of GNT that would complement and support current regulations of the government and to address the predicted risk while fostering the sustainable development of NT as GT.
3.14 How Green Nanotechnology Is Different and Secured to Achieve All 17 Sustainable Development Goals of UN
While discussing about opportunities and challenges of GNT and nanomaterials as general‐purpose technology to solve many problems in the primary industry sector, secondary industry sector, tertiary industry sector, and quaternary industry sector, it is found that NT is a boon to mankind and gives incredible power to human beings to improve the comfortability and quality of life. While comparing the United Nations SDG with GNT opportunities, 12 goals out of 17 goals can be realized by using GNT. Five goals can be realized using ICCT underlying technologies and one goal of reduced inequalities among Countries is not directly related to technological innovations. The possibility of using GNT processes/NT systems in solving 17 goals of global sustainable development is shown in Table 3.8.
The NT solutions in different industry sectors are planned by ensuring nanoscale materials are designed and developed with human health and the global environment in mind, and hence further fears on sustainability due to degradable environmental concerns are unnecessary for future years. To accelerate the development of GNT, countries should consider the following steps:
1 Educating the people and entrepreneurs to create a supportive environment in society to accept new technology products.
2 Assessment of GNT implications to gauge the trade‐off between benefits and constraints for nanoproducts and their existing counterparts.
3 Develop a performance standard globally for GNT products for the producers and users.
4 Branding green nano products and services globally by creating awareness in every country to use and to support to realize the SDG of the United Nations.
5 Country governments should encourage the production and use of GNT products and services by providing tax relaxation and other financial incentives for the initial few years. This will accelerate the penetration of GNT products and services development and usage in the country.
6 Government support for open innovation without patent rights leads to wide production and marketing of GNT products and services by many companies in different industry sectors. A systematic rewarding policy should be developed to honor such an open innovation.
7 Accelerated Focus on general‐purpose technology development through national technology policy to provide more resources and encouragement for researchers and investors.
8 Government and Nongovernment organizations (NGO) efforts on creating awareness programs on the advantages of green nano products and risk prevention strategies through the design of safer and green processes that make them.
The proactive policies of government and industry sectors to encourage investors and development of skilled human resources. The responsible approach of government, industries, organizations, and individuals in developing green and eco‐friendly NT as a technological tool will enable more sustainable products and processes for the next industrial revolution to realize the United Nations SDG.
3.15 Conclusion
Converting NT into green and eco‐friendly NT by means of using bottom‐up preparation techniques of green chemistry allows us to decrease the risks associated with it to various industrial applications and resembles the many characteristics of ideal technology [89]. Being a general‐purpose technology with characteristics like pervasiveness, improvement, and innovative opportunities, NT has its roots and branches in almost all parts of science and technology applications in society. The fear of adverse effects of nanomaterials on user health and environment is also possible to take care by choosing green synthesis methods at room temperature processes. The United Nations identified 17 SDG in the year 2015, for global prospectus of humanity as systematic development objectives to be realized by 2030 with a timeframe of 15 years. These SDG goals can be realized using two general‐purpose technologies of the twenty‐first century that include NT and ICCT, in which NT has a major role to support 12 goals for realization. The opportunities and challenges of GNT in major part of primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary industry sectors encourages and accelerates the growth and acceptance of technology by enhancing investments and support NT usage by every country.
Table 3.8 SD goals, suitable technologies and focus on different industry sector to achieve them.
| Goal No. | Focus issue | Technology | Focus of technological solutions in different industry sectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reduce poverty | NT | Green nanotechnology in primary sector with focus on agriculture industry |
| 2 | Reduce hunger | NT | Green nanotechnology with a focus on food preservation, transportation, and even preparation of artificial food |
| 3 | Health and well‐being | NT | Green nanotechnology in healthcare and environment cleaning |
| 4 | Quality higher education | ICCT | Education technology using ICCT and nanotechnology in the tertiary sector |
| 5 | Gender equality | ICCT | Awareness and equal opportunity creation using ICCT‐based education |
| 6 | Clean water and sanitation | NT | Green nanotechnology in primary and secondary industry sectors |
| 7 | Affordable renewable energy | NT | Green nanotechnology for highly efficient renewable energy generation and storage |
| 8 | Decent employment | NT and ICCT | Green nanotechnology together with ICCT created skilled jobs and employment |
| 9 |
Sustainable
|
