Understanding public debate on nanotechnologies : options for framing public policy

This publication consists of a series of research articles on the nature of public debate on nanosciences and nanotechnologies, and the ways in which deliberative approaches could lead to better governance of these technologies. Of these, the project FRAMINGNANO involved the development of a governance plan for nanotechnologies. NANOCAP was a capacity building exercise through which European Trade Unions and Environmental NGOs adopted resolutions and positions on the governance of nanotechnologies. The DEEPEN project elaborated the ethics of nanotechnologies and investigated the narratives which underlie public discourse, while NANOPLAT proposed a new deliberative platform for consumers of nanotechnologically-enabled products and, in the course of doing this, evaluated a number of different approaches to deliberation. Includes: Introduction: Understanding Public Debate on Nanotechnologies
Options for Framing Public Policy /René von Schomberg; Narrative and Public Engagement: Some findings
from the DEEPEN project / Phil Macnaghten, Sarah Davies and Matthew Kearnes; Positions and responsibilities in the ‘real’ world of nanotechnology / Arie Rip and Clare Shelley-Egan; A governance platform to secure the responsible development of nanotechnologies: the FramingNano Project / Elvio Mantovani, Andrea Porcari; The future of deliberative processes
on nanotechnology / Eivind Stø, Gerd Scholl, Francois Jègou and Pål Strandbakken; European trade union and environmental
NGO positions in the debate on nanotechnologies /
Pieter van Broekhuizen, Astrid Schwarz