ABSTRACT
I stated in the introduction that the objective of this book is to show that institutional emergence in nanotechnologies marks a rupture from previous forms of institutional emergence. This rupture is not produced by one group of stakeholders, one set of actions alone, but by a complex web of interactions emanating from five groups of stakeholders: entrepreneurs, commentators, scientists, policy makers, and end users. I postulated that the connecting element between all these interactions—the source of the rupture from previous forms of institutional emergence—is increasing awareness of the importance of sustainable development.
