Nanotechnology is frequently described as an enabling technology and 1 fundamental innovation, i.e. it is expected to lead to numerous innovative developments in the most diverse fields of technology and areas of app- cation in society and the marketplace. The technology, it is believed, has the potential for far-reaching changes that will eventually affect all areas of life. Such changes will doubtlessly have strong repercussions for society and the environment and bring with them not only the desired and intended effects such as innovations in the form of improvements to products, pr- esses...

Die dominierenden technologiepolitischen Ziele stehen in engem Zusammenhang mit dem okonomisch-technischen Wettlauf um Weltmarktvorteile, der jedoch die Gefahr in sich birgt, regionale Eigenstandigkeiten zu zerstoren und damit auch die jeweils soziostrukturell und okologisch optimal angepaten technischen Losungen. Eine Vielzahl von Problemen wird erst dann angemessen zu bewaltigen sein, wenn auch auf die regionalen Bedurfnisse und Moglichkeiten zugeschnittene, stofflich-technische Leitbilder entwickelt und umgesetzt werden. Elemente des hierfur notwendigen Gestaltungswissens und sinnvolle...

There is a wide consensus about the necessity of sustainable development. There is also a consensus that wide areas of our economy, industry, and technology and the life styles in industrialized countries are not susta- able. Science and technology are widely regarded as (main) causes for this situation. Issues in this context comprise the generally low resource ef- ciency, an increased and mostly undebated technological power, an - creased invasiveness of modern technologies, increasing amounts and - versity of pollutants, and high technological risks. On the other hand science and...