Today, the majority of innovation in nanotechnology is restricted to spin-offs generated in the academic environment where funding agencies set research efforts towards common goods, in medicine, energy and environment.
From the societal point of view, and for similar reasons (small companies cannot financially support worldwide patents), patents are only presented in rich countries where benefits are more secured, allowing its free implementation in the rest of the world. Therefore, in these cases, the most critical point regarding responsible development is safety, and safety comprises human and environmental safety. Therefore, the question we need all to pose is: does the nanoform of a substance entail an increased risk?
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