Like online gambling at the Vegas casino, the future of nanotechnology is as exciting as it’s ever been, making it an appealing investment opportunity. According to Allied Market Research, the value of the world’s nanotechnology market is forecast to hit US$2.23 billion by 2025.
This micro-scale industry is having a far-reaching impact that’s swiftly transforming our world. From ground-breaking nanotechnology-based medical treatments to ultra-efficient computing and revolutionary energy systems, nanotechnology offers lots of opportunities for innovation. This gives new investors plenty to mull over.
What Is Nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology refers to the manipulation of molecules and atoms on a nanoscale. For context, a nanometer is 1/1,000,000,000 of a meter—roughly 0.00001111111% the width of one human hair. The nanotech industry can potentially produce handsome returns for smart investors. This industry has been touted to be the “next industrial revolution,” with research and development of nanotechnology solutions having a major impact on nearly all industries. Precedence Research projects that the world’s nanotechnology market will hit roughly $289 billion by 2030.
Investment Opportunities in Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is a very promising investment thanks to its growing, influential applications across numerous industries, including:
- Medical and healthcare solutions. Nanotech innovations and solutions offer a range of possibilities in the biomedical field. In particular, nanotechnology has a major impact on medicine as it helps solve real-world health issues from diagnostics to treatment and prevention. For instance, infections have, for a long time, been treated by antibiotics. However, too much use of antibiotics has led to increasingly drug-resistant bacteria. As a substitute for antibiotics, new nanomaterials can fight pathogens, offering a more focused delivery of drugs and therapeutics as well as treatment. Nanotechnology is also helping treat endometriosis, a medical condition that 10% of childbearing-age women suffer from. Instead of the traditional treatment of surgically removing the lesions, which typically return after surgery and need several surgeries, nanotechnology offers a non-invasive way to get rid of the lesions. Moreover, it is improving cardiovascular treatment by improving the efficiency of cardiac surgery instruments. Nanorobots can even work inside our bodies, analyzing and sending reports on certain tissues.
- Electronics and IT solutions. Nanotechnology is continuously improving electronics. As they get smaller and smaller, they also get increasingly more difficult to manufacture. Nanotechnology can help shrink tech tools even further to fit in people’s pockets while also enhancing their data processing ability, making wearable technology more portable and lighter, increasing memory space, and enhancing overall functionality. The now common-place lithium-ion battery is also a product of nanotechnology. Offering high-energy density and minimum power consumption, this battery only appeared on the market in the 1990s. They’ve evolved immeasurably since then, becoming more and more powerful and cheaper.
- Energy solutions. Nanotechnology is proving increasingly useful for improving alternative energy sources to help cater to the world’s rising energy needs. Scientists are also exploring ways to create clean, renewable, and affordable energy sources, as well as ways to decrease energy use and reduce toxicity in the atmosphere. Nanotech is enhancing the efficiency of fuel produced by raw petroleum items through improved catalysis. It’s also helping reduce fuel use in power plants and vehicles through decreased friction and higher-efficiency combustion. Moreover, it is used to extract oil and gas through nanotech-enabled gas lift valves abroad. Nanoparticles are also being used to check for microscopic down-the-well oil pipeline fractures.
Nanotechnology Investment Challenges and Concerns
Nanotechnology poses various challenges and risks that need solving so it’s safely and responsively developed:
- Health risks. Inhaled nanoparticles can adversely affect people’s health through disorders like heart disease and lung inflammation. To address health concerns, it’s critical to understand how nanoparticles relate to living things and their possible long-term health ramifications.
- Environmental impact. The small size of nanoparticles enables them to go deeper and deeper into the environment, sparking fears about their effects and possible chemical reactions on interacting with other particles.
- Toxicology. Research shows nanoparticles could accumulate in different organs and cause toxicity. For example, they can build up in animals’ brains, lungs, and nasal cavities, igniting fears about their possible effects on human health.
- Availability of resources. There are concerns about the availability of resources needed for nanomaterial production, but planet Earth is endowed with many essential minerals.
- Commercialization. Significant expertise and investment are required to scale nanotechnology for mass production. Transitioning into mass production poses challenges that must be carefully addressed.
Nanotechnology is a revolutionary technology that has a significant impact on biomedics and healthcare, computing and electronics, energy, transportation, materials and manufacturing, etc. It offers great opportunities and rewards for new investors, making it attractive worldwide. However, investing in it poses various challenges, including long-term effects on human health, environmental impact, and long-term safety concerns. Investors should take measures to address potential health, safety, and environmental challenges to ensure the sustainable use of nanoparticles.
