Environmental Scan — June 2004

Science and Technology

Biotechnology, particularly genomic and proteomic research, is flourishing and producing significant benefits for human health.

Nanotechnology, while still in its infancy, is predicted to be an ever-expanding field of exploration with high investment.

Research and development in both biotechnology and nanotechnology offer great promise - significant concerns persist around the benefits versus the costs and risks for human safety and security.

In this Section...

• a genomics divide between the North and South is emerging and growing
• debate around the risks and benefits of genetically modified organisms continues
• a renewed search for alternative energy sources dominates scientific inquiry
• science & technology (S&T) assists countries to be proactive in the fight against terrorism - also represents an emerging and significant area of threat
• Canada is highly successful in some domains of science and technology - increasingly lagging behind in others, particularly nanoscience

To obtain an electronic copy (PDF) of this section or the complete report, please send a request by e-mail to the Strategic Policy and Planning Branch of the RCMP to