7


DISABLED PEOPLE, NBICS AND DEVELOPMENT ...............................13
Nanowater ........................................................................................................... 14

Impacts of Nanotechnology and NBICS in general ............................................... 14

Impacting disabled people ................................................................................... 16


NANO/NBICS GOVERNANCE AND DISABLED PEOPLE ......................18
The missing disabled people ................................................................................ 18

Practical issues in engaging the disability community ......................................... 20



APPENDIX: LIST OF DISABLED PEOPLE GROUPS: ............................25
DISABILITY AND POVERTY..............................................................25

REFERENCES

34



1 INTRODUCTION

The term nanotechnology was used first to describe a way to manufacture something from
atomic molecules (such as the food replicator in many science fiction films where one says,
for example, Coffee and the machine builds, synthesizes the coffee molecule by molecule)
(1).

However, due to sales pitch strategies by companies and others, the term nanotechnology
has since then evolved into a different meaning. Today, nanotechnology is used to mean
nanoscale technology and nanoscale sciences covering nanotechnology research and
development products, ideas and processes with controlled size below 300nm. Many Nano-
Taxonomies exist which show the numerous fields, processes and products covered under
nanotechnology today (2).

The original meaning of the term has been altered, and now nanotechnology is generally
known as molecular manufacturing or molecular nanotechnology (2).

Although the area of molecular manufacturing will have a huge impact on trade and related
areas once it is operationalised, it will not be covered in this document.

This scoping paper takes into account that products and ideas for research and development
are influenced by the convergence of nanotechnology with other technologies such as
biotechnology, information technology and cognitive sciences (neuron engineering) and
synthetic biology, which is described on the synthetic biology community webpage
(
http://syntheticbiology.org/
) to mean:

a.

the design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems; and
b.

the re-design of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes (3).

In addition, I would add the reaction of other fields of sciences such as social sciences,
medicine, economics, health technology assessment, health research, anthropology,
environmental sciences, disability studies/variability studies towards these products and
ideas for research and development.

Authors note: Although this document focuses on the impact of nanotechnology and NBICS
on disabled people, the author believes that the line between who is disabled and who is not
disabled is rather blurry (4) and that the so-called non-disabled are impacted by the
situation/treatment of the disabled and vice versa.


BACKGROUND: NANOTECHNOLOGY/NBICS

Nanotechnology in all its meanings allows for, among other things, the manipulation of
materials on an atomic or molecular scale and enables a new paradigm of science and
technology that sees different technologies converging at the nanoscale namely:

a.

nanoscience and nanotechnology;
b.

biotechnology and biomedicine, including genetic engineering;
c.

information technology, including advanced computing and communications;
d.

cognitive science (neuro engineering)
e.

synthetic biology.

Hence, the designation "NBICS" (nano-bio-info-cogno-synbio).

2 Many lists of anticipated Nanoproducts
exist
(5;6). The National Nanotechnology Initiative
(US) envisions applications for NBIC products in areas such as the environment, energy,
water, weapons and other military applications, globalization, agriculture, and health (e.g.,
more efficient diagnostics and genetic testing, cognitive enhancement; life extension and
enhancing human performance in general) (7).

Others, such as transhumanists, believe that advances in NBICS hold the key for extreme
life extension to the level of immortality and the achievement of morphological (8), full
reproductive,( e.g., artificial womb research) (9), and genomic freedom (10). Another
area that impacts and is impacted by nanotechnology includes synthetic biology (11;12).

The U.S. government spent nearly
twice as much on nanotechnology in
2004 as it did on the Human Genome
Project (HGP) in its peak year.
Predictions are that expenditures in
Nanotechnology will soon outstrip
investments to date in Genomics and
Biotechnology (13).

By the end of 2005 governments had
sunk eighteen billion dollars (US$18
billion) of taxpayers money into
nanotechnology R&D. With an
additional six billion dollars (US$6
billion) forecast for 2006,
nanotechnologies will then have
received the same level of funding in
absolute dollar terms as the entire
Apollo program (14). Many middle-
income countries such as India (15),
China (16) and others (17) are
increasingly involved in
nanotechnology. A Global R&D Report
Changes in the R&D Community by
Battelle and published by R&D
Magazine (18)

puts China in 4th place
behind India, Japan and the US in R&D
spending (19).


(18)


The 2006 Lux report (20) states the following:

Governments
Nanotechnology spending 2005
North America (nearly all Canada)
$1.7 billion (36%)
Asia (dominated by Japan)
$1.7 billion (36%)
Western Europe (led by Germany)
$1.1 billion (26%)
Rest of the World
$0.1 Billion (2.1%)


3 Established Corporations
Nanotechnology spending 2005
North America (nearly all Canada)
$1.9 billion (42%)
Asia (dominated by Japan)
$1.7 billion (38%)
Western Europe (led by Germany)
$0.85 billion (19%)
Rest of the World
$0.07 billion (2%)

The hierarchy in funding by Venture Capital stated by Lux is also reflected in the figures
below of Nanotech R&D in Europe where Nanobio/Nanomedicine is second to Nano-
electronics (21) and in the distribution of application fields of company products where
automotives are number one but health and medicine are a close second (22).

Electronics and IT deals lead with 40% of VC investment in 2004 and 2005, followed closely
by life sciences with materials and nanotools as a distant third and fourth, respectively.



4 (23)

Nanobio is one of the biggest pieces in the pie--often the biggest--if one looks at Nano
funding based on applications (21;24;25). Each of the fields of applications mentioned
above come with their own sales pitches, social consequences, problems, and implications,
and each deserve its own scoping paper.

This paper will focus on the area of Nano/NBICS medicine because this area is affecting
disabled people the fastest and because many of its problems are not yet covered.

BACKGROUND: NANOMEDICINE/NBICS MEDICINE

Nanomedicine, by itself or in convergence with Bio-Info-Cogno-synbio sciences, is
envisioned by some to have the answer to global problems of disease and ill health. Others
argue for the pursuit of morphological freedom (8)--allowing the human body to move
beyond typical functioning of the species.

anomedicine glossary on the webpage Nanotechnology Now describes nanomedicine
s follows:
ostructures; (2) the science and technology
of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease and traumatic injury, of relieving
machine systems to address medical problems, using molecular knowledge to
maintain and i


is projected to increase nearly 50 per cent
29).









The n
a

(1) the comprehensive monitoring, control, construction, repair, defense, and
improvement of all human biological systems, working from the molecular level,
using engineered nanodevices and nan
pain, and of preserving and improving human health, using molecular tools and
molecular knowledge of the human body; (3) the employment of molecular
mprove human health at the molecular scale (1).

The journal Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine was launched in March
2005 (26). Quite a few Nanomedicine Roadmaps also exist by now (27). According to Frost
and Sullivann, nanotechnological processes in medicine will obtain a sales volume of about
$180 billion until 2015 (28). According to the Freedonia group, demand for
anotechnology health care products in the US
n
per year to $6.5 billion in 2009 and by 2020, demand for nanotechnology health care
products is projected to exceed $100 billion (







Supplies &

8900
2400

35

Medical
Supplies &
2200
1100

465

Diagnostics
16600
3000

406

Pharmaceuticals

27700
6500

906

Nanotech
Health Care
Demand
2014
2009

2004

Item
8900

2400
35
Medical Product and Devices

2200

1100
465
Diagnostics
16600

3000
406
Pharmaceuticals
27700

6500
906
Nanotech Health Care Product Demand

2014

2009
2004
U
Item
S NANOTECHNOLOGY HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS DEMAND
(million dollars)


5
(29)

Nanomedicine taxonomies from 2003 and 2005 give an idea as to what is covered by
Nano/NBIC medicine nowadays.


(30

)
(31)


6 A nanoroadmap for Nanomedicine in Europe (28) has the following taxonomy:





Many Nanomedicine products envisioned or anticipated can be foun