Nanotech Cluster in Nuevo León, México: Reflections on its Social Significance

Abstract

Nanotechnology development in Mexico is occurring in a regulatory vacuum, one in which many claims are made for this sector's broader benefits to Mexican society and business. This article takes a case-study approach to one of the most significant nanotechnology initiatives in Mexico. It examines the scientific policy context surrounding its creation, the regulatory environment, charts its implementation, and discusses the social implications that few are researching and even fewer appear to view as requiring investigation. The article concludes that the interests of private business continue take priority over scientific goals or relevance to social needs; that the pursuit of the nanotechnology-business nexus exhibits wasted resources; that Mexico's education system is ill-prepared to provide the necessary human resource base; and that repercussions for Mexico's internal labor market are profound, with unanticipated consequences.