Nanotechnology as general-purpose technology: Empirical evidence and implications

摘要

The objective of this paper is to determine whether nanotechnology has the same characteristics that other general-purpose technologies have had in their early stages of development. An expert validation methodology is used to develop a sample of first 25 years of nanotechnology patenting activity. The authors analyze this data for early evidence that nanotechnology is a general-purpose technology (GPT), a transformative technology characterized by its pervasiveness, improvement over time, and pattern of diffusion. Results indicate that nanotechnology patenting activity has been growing in intensity and relative to overall patenting activity, and that it is pervasive across industry and technology sectors. (30 refs.)