Nanotechnology is an emerging field and is currently receiving a good deal of attention in most industrialised countries, as large policy initiatives and related R&D investments demonstrate. It enables the purposeful engineering of matter at very small length scales – at the level of atoms and molecules – and can therefore contribute to new industrial applications in a very broad range of sectors. The fundamental characteristics of nanotechnology have led analysts to suggest that it may constitute a basis for longterm productivity and economic growth. It may also help to address pressing national and global challenges in areas such as health care, energy, water and climate change. Traditional science and technology indicators highlight the broad-based nature of nanotechnology, while consultants forecast large markets and contributions to entrepreneurship and job creation. Nonetheless, there is inadequate reliable information in terms of the implications of nanotechnology for companies and business environments and how policies for innovation should respond.