Waiting for nano-very actively : a long-term on the role of the Rathenau Institute in stimulating the Dutch debate on nanotechnology

This article describes the Rathenau Institute’s long-term programmatic effort to study the societal meaning of nanotechnology and stimulate political and public debate about it. Three (interconnected) strands within the Dutch debate on nanotechnology since 2003 are distinguished. First, discussions about the safety of nanoparticles for the environment and human beings. Secondly, discussions on broader social and ethical issues related to nanotechnologies. To what extent does the Dutch debate pay attention to such broader issues? Thirdly, we will look at the debate in the Netherlands on whether and how to engage a broader set of people into the societal debate on nanotechnology