GNN Development

The GNN was launched by international partners iin 2001 and has been developed through a series of international workshops involving researchers, educators, and policy makers from academia, government, and industry.

Global Workshops

First Development Workshop - Cancun, Mexico (2001) 11 countries represented (Brazil, Canada, China, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, and the US). This workshop identified the need for a global framework to faciliate international cooperation in nanoscale science, technology and education.

Second Development Workshop - Yokohama, Japan (2003) 15 countries represented (Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, UK, US, and Uzbekistan). This workshop identified regional and national nano networks for inclusion in the GNN.

Third Development Workshop - Saarbrucken, Germany (2005) 25 countries plus the European Commission (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, and US. Participants agreed that the GNN should address shared global challenges and identified the four key project strands shown below. 

A fourth global workshop will be held in Saclay, France in May 2010 to formalize the structure of the GNN membership and operations, select regional leaders, obtain funding, and identify strategic areas for collaborative action.

Workshop to Develop a Pan-American Nanotechnology Network (PANN) - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (September 22, 2009). 9 Pan-American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.) This workshop provided an overview of Pan-American capabilities and activities in nanotechnology-related research and education and invited participants to envision and plan the development of a cooperative nano network.

First US-China Workshop on Nanostructured Materials for Global Energy and Environmental Applications - Evanston, Illinois USA (September 2008).The first in a series of workshops co-sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the US National Science Foundation (NSF) to address shared challenges related to energy and environment.

Second US-China Workshop on Nanostructured Materials for Global Energy and Environmental Applications - China Changzhou City, Jiangsu. China (October 2009). Second in a series of workshops o-sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the US National Science Foundation (NSF) to address shared challenges related to energy and environment.