• What we do
  • The People
  • About Us
  • Why Innovation Africa
  • Contact Us
Innovation AfricaCreating the Future Today
  • Feature Articles
  • Innovation
  • Agriculture
  • ICT
  • Technology
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Health
  • Store
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • Feature Articles
  • Innovation
  • Agriculture
  • ICT
  • Technology
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Health
  • Store
  • Contact Us
  • Nanotech’s impacts on Africa must be carefully considered

    October 28, 2010 Editor 0

    Recommendations that attention should be paid to nanotechnology’s ethical, economic and social risks for Africa, put forward by a regional workshop in Côte d’Ivoire, must be built on, says Kathy Jo Wetter in Pambazuka News.

    The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) is promoting the use of nanotechnology as the key to solving problems such as dirty water in the developing world. South Africa’s National Nanotechnology Strategy’s budget, funded by the Department of Science and Technology, approached US$600 million for 2009–2010.

    But Wetter argues that nanotech will profoundly affect Africa’s economy, regardless of its level of direct participation or handling of intellectual property (IP).

    If a new technology outperforms a conventional material it is likely to replace the conventional commodity, hurting the poorest and most vulnerable particularly workers without flexibility to supply new skills or raw materials, says Wetter.

    African governments should enact tougher IP laws that recognise the rights of patent owners, she says.

    Nanoscale materials can easily enter most human cells without triggering an immune response. Some nanoparticles can cross the placenta, potentially posing significant risks to developing embryos. Workers who experience routine occupational exposure to nanoparticles will likely be most at risk.

    Wetter suggests that commodity-dependent developing countries in Africa gain a better understanding of nanotechnology’s impact and participate in determining how it affects their futures. Approaches are needed to monitor and assess the introduction of nanotechnology along with early warning strategies to keep pace with technological change.

    Link to full article in Pambazuka News

    Related Posts

    • Virtual nanotech centre links Argentina, South Africa
    • Pandor to open high-tech nanotechnology facility at RhodesPandor to open high-tech nanotechnology facility at Rhodes
    • Nanotechnology in agriculture: prospects and constraints.Nanotechnology in agriculture: prospects and constraints.
    • Impact Investing: How to Scale Impact EnterprisesImpact Investing: How to Scale Impact Enterprises
    • Africa: Lack of Nanotech Regulations Leaves Developing World ExposedAfrica: Lack of Nanotech Regulations Leaves Developing World Exposed
    • The Hidden Danger of Being Risk-AverseThe Hidden Danger of Being Risk-Averse
    Sovrn
    Share

    Categories: Science

    Tags: commodity, impact, nanoparticles, nanotech, nanotechnology, risk

    Researchers find a stable way to store the sun’s heat South Africa’s leading energy provider brings clean, cost-effective solution to local market

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

Subscribe to our stories


 

Recent Posts

  • SL Crowd Green Solutions September 21, 2020
  • Digital transformation in the banking sector: surveys exploration and analytics August 3, 2020
  • Why Let Others Disrupt You? Take the Smart Self-Disruption Journey! August 3, 2020
  • 5 Tips for Crowdfunding During the Pandemic August 3, 2020
  • innovation + africa; +639 new citations August 3, 2020

Categories

Archives

Popular Post-All time

  • A review on biomass-based... 0.9k views
  • Can blockchain disrupt ge... 672 views
  • Prize-winning projects pr... 646 views
  • Apply Now: $500,000 for Y... 602 views
  • Test Your Value Propositi... 524 views

Recent Posts

  • SL Crowd Green Solutions
  • Digital transformation in the banking sector: surveys exploration and analytics
  • Why Let Others Disrupt You? Take the Smart Self-Disruption Journey!
  • 5 Tips for Crowdfunding During the Pandemic
  • innovation + africa; +639 new citations
  • SME Innovation: 10 Priorities for Support Post-COVID-19 
  • Africa RISING Annual Progress Report 2018 – 2019 now available
  • Fodder beet feed supplementation delivers dairy success for Ethiopian farmers
  • Using theory of change for outcome-oriented research
  • Africa RISING partners publish soil fertility management guidebook

Tag Cloud

    africa African Agriculture Business Business model Business_Finance Company Crowdsourcing data Development East Africa economics Education Entrepreneur entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship ethiopia ghana Health_Medical_Pharma ict Information technology Innovation kenya knowledge Knowledge Management Leadership marketing mobile Mobile phone nigeria Open innovation Organization Research rwanda science Science and technology studies social enterprise social entrepreneurship south africa Strategic management strategy tanzania Technology Technology_Internet uganda

Categories

Archives

  • A review on biomass-based hydrogen production for renewable energy supply 0.9k views
  • Can blockchain disrupt gender inequality? 672 views
  • Prize-winning projects promote healthier eating, smarter crop investments 646 views
  • Apply Now: $500,000 for Your Big Data Innovations in Agriculture 602 views
  • Test Your Value Proposition: Supercharge Lean Startup and CustDev Principles 524 views

Copyright © 2005-2020 Innovation Africa Theme created by PWT. Powered by WordPress.org