Nanomaterials are a general-purpose technology with broad implications to a nation’s industrial base, security, and economic growth. As nations around the world invest strategically to secure leadership in nanomaterials, the ability to commercialize and scale has become a defining factor in long-term national competitiveness. Governments are increasingly recognizing that first-mover advantage in general-purpose technologies like nanomaterials drive innovation capacity, economic resilience, and global influence.
Maintaining competitiveness requires more than scientific excellence, it also demands coherent national strategies that align research investment, industrial policy and supply chain resilience. With long development timelines, high capital requirements, and infrastructure-intensive production, the nanomaterials sector faces structural barriers that private industry and the capital markets cannot overcome alone, particularly in an environment shaped by large-scale public investment abroad.
The NIA supports efforts to create enabling environments for national competitiveness through public-private collaboration. By engaging with policymakers, industry, and academia, we advocate for forward-looking programs that strengthen domestic innovation ecosystems, reduce commercialization risks, and secure critical supply chains.