6. Economic data

6.1 Expenses

Nanotechnologies, in the general sense of the term, represent a real economic challenge today. Financial efforts by countries such as the United States, Japan, and the European Union have been growing rapidly in this area since the late 1990s. Public support for nanotechnology across all countries amounted to €3.5 billion in 2003. It is growing at a rate of 40% per year. The United States has developed numerous initiatives in favor of nanotechnology, and the federal government is expected to spend approximately €790 million on nanotechnology R&D this year. Public spending in Japan and the European Union is now almost identical to that of the US government. However, total public and private spending in the United States is estimated to account for one-third of total...