Nano@Tech: Commercialization and Public Values Implications of Nanotechnology
Dr. Jan Youtie
Enterprise Innovation Institute, The Georgia Institute of Technology

Abstract: This talk defines public values and examines how these values can be mapped into the Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program in the context of the emergence of nanotechnology. I-Corps is a program begun in 2011 in the National Science Foundation (NSF) to accelerate the pace of commercializing science-driven discoveries. The rapid spread of the I-Corps process across multiple US agencies suggests the importance of reflecting on the dimensions which having a bearing on public values. The talk considers how public values can be integrated alongside informal I-Corps starting questions. It puts forth public values questions particularly relevant to nanotechnology such as: What societal problem does this technology solve? What types of potential customers would be likely to be overlooked? Who might oppose the technology? Are there any potential environmental health, and safety risks from this application?

Bio: Jan L. Youtie, Ph.D., is a principal researcher in the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) and directs the program in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, which is a joint program of the School of Public Policy and EI2. She also is the Social and Ethical Implications (SEI) coordinator for the Southeastern Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor program at Georgia Tech as well as co-director of the Innovation Co-Lab with University of Manchester, UK and Beijing Institute of Technology; and Co-Principal Investigator of the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University. Dr. Youtie’s research focuses on technology-based economic development, advanced manufacturing, emerging technology assessment, bibliometric and patent analysis, and innovation and knowledge measurement and evaluation. She has been recognized as one of the top authors in technology and innovation management research by the International Association of Management of Technology.