Nanotechnology is an emerging technology (or set of technologies) which is currently attracting wide-ranging attention. Almost no other field has obtained as much public investment in R&D in a such a short time, and private-sector investments have also increased steadily (there is as yet no reliable systematic data revealing how the economic crisis may have affected this). Consultancies predict very large markets for nanotechnologyenabled products, and forecasts suggest that many new jobs may be created. To describe the potential economic impact of nanotechnology, reference is often made to the concept of “general purpose technology”, that is, a technology with a range of characteristics which makes it particularly well placed to generate longer-term productivity increases and economic growth across a range of industries. As a consequence, governments are developing strategies to promote the responsible development and use of nanotechnology while taking account of the uncertainties and any risks involved.