Which industries are likely to be affected?

Nanotechnology is enabling technology. This means that nano-based components or processes are parts of a bigger system. They may give the final product the crucial functionality, but their role is usually not easily identifiable or simply not recognized.

Because nanotechnology is done at the molecular level, whole new products and processes can be developed in multiple industries. The most significant nanotechnology revenue generating sector in the long run could be materials, healthcare, followed by telecommunications, chemicals, and computers and electronics.

A 2006 National Science Foundation industry study expects that the near-term impact of nanotechnology is likely to be fragmented, product-specific and evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Probably the most significant lesson is the broad and varying range of impacts and revenues that could occur at varying rates across multiple industries. The projection also suggests that there may be significant market development in as short a time as four years.