Taking a Proactive Approach Towards Responsibility: Indications of Nano Policy-Making Around the World, 2001-2008

In this paper, we hypothesize that the development of normative materials dealing with nanotechnology from 2004-2008 can be used to indicate the level of action being taken worldwide towards the responsible development of nanotechnologies. We also look at these indications of action in light of the number of reports, articles, and general agitation about the need to take some sort of proactive steps, to see if these reports have influenced the level of action in this area. However, after 2008, you begin to see a number of indications that a growing number of government agencies, international organizations, industrial organizations, and advocacy-oriented NGOs' are developing normative materials and funding projects that can be seen as some of the first steps taken towards promoting the responsible development of nanotechnologies. This paper focuses on the development of normative materials from 2004-2008, and then briefly summarizes how these normative materials helped shape the focus of responsible development after this period.