TABLE OF CONTENTS A number of significant technology-related trends appear poised to have major global effects by 2015. These trends are being influenced by advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology, [1] materials technology, and information technology. This report presents a concise foresight [2] of these global trends and potential implications for 2015 within and among the first three technological areas as well as their intersection and cross-fertilization with information technology. This foresight activity considered potential scientific and technical advances, enabled applications, potential barriers, and global implications. These implications are varied and can include social, political, economic, environmental, or other factors. In many cases, the significance of these technologies appears to depend on the synergies afforded by their combined advances as well as on their interaction with the so-called information revolution. Unless indicated otherwise, references to possible future developments are for the 2015 timeframe.
Some have predicted that whereas the 20th century was dominated by advances in chemistry and physics, the 21st century will be dominated by advances in biotechnology (see, for example, Carey et al., 1999 [22] [3]). We appear to be on the verge of understanding, reading, and controlling the genetic coding of living things, affording us revolutionary control of biological organisms and their deficiencies. Other advances in biomedical engineering, therapeutics, and drug development hold additional promises for a wide range of applications and improvements.
On another front, the U.S. President s proposed National Nanotechnology Initiative projected that the emerging fields of nanoscience and nanoengineering are leading to unprecedented understanding and...
