Convergence and multidisciplinarity in nanotechnology: Laboratories as technological hubs

Nicolas Battard
Additional contact information
Nicolas Battard: DIT - Dublin Institute of Technology

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: This article argues that research groups dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology are considered as technological hubs where scientists with multiple backgrounds converge in order to conduct research at the nanoscale (a billionth of a metre). Scientific production is therefore challenged as multiple ways of thinking, practices and knowledge participate in the creation of new outcomes. Through an exploratory and inductive study, I show that these technological hubs develop a specialisation based on internal competencies and stock of knowledge. The specialisation enables laboratories to position themselves as an expert among other laboratories as well as making them more visible in order to attract funding. However, multidisciplinary research is hindered by knowledge and practices that are inherited from established scientific disciplines. The lack of standards and clear definition of the area of nanoscience and nanotechnology leads young scientists, PhD students particularly, to experience a misalignment between their research, their supervision, and the outcomes they have to produce.

Keywords: Technological hub; Scientific disciplines; Nanotechnology; Multidisciplinarity; Convergence Choose an option (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01514795
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Published in Technovation, 2012, 32 (3-4), pp.234-244. ⟨10.1016/j.technovation.2011.09.001⟩

Downloads: (external link)
https://hal.science/hal-01514795/document (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-01514795

DOI: 10.1016/j.technovation.2011.09.001

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().