1. Automotive

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and, on the other, dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental compliance. Key drivers in the automotive industry are:

• Reduced air pollution
• Reduction of weight
• Recyclability
• Safety
• Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)
• Aesthetics
• Longer service life

The automotive industry can benefit from nanomaterials in several domains:

• Frames and body parts
• Engines and powertrain
• Paints and coatings
• Suspension and breaking systems
• Lubrication
• Tires
• Exhaust systems and catalytic converters
• Electric and electronic equipment

2. Aeronautics

In 2002 the Advisory Council for Aeronautical Research in Europe (ACARE, www.acare4europe.com) released a Strategic Research Agenda for the next 20 years. Furthermore the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD, www.asd-europe.org) published the ARTE21 paper.

Looking at the 26 goals put forward by ACARE and the 23 integration/validation projects proposed in the ARTE21 Part III paper, the following objectives related to nanotechnologies in materials can be identified:

Fall in travel charges through the reduction of:

1. Aircraft procurement cost by 35%
2. Maintenance costs by 25%
3. Fuel consumption by 20%

Improved or new engine designs to reduce:

1. CO2 emissions by 50%
2. NOx emissions by 80%
3. External and cabin noise to one half of current average levels

3. Health & Medical Systems

The sector of Health & Medical Systems is mainly influenced by the "nanobiotechnology", which is concerned with properties at molecular scale and applications of biological structures.
The main domains of application of nanomaterials that can be identified in this sector are:

• Drug discovery
• Drug delivery
• Molecular diagnostics
• Molecular imaging
• Implants
• Active implants
• Tissue engineering
• Surgery
• Cosmetics
• Food
• Genomics
• Proteomics

4. Energy

The main challenges for the application of nanomaterials in the energy sector are the improvement of the efficiency, the reliability, the safety and the lifetime as well as the reduction of costs.
Three main domains can be identified in the energy sector:

• Energy conversion / production
• Energy storage
• Energy saving

In each domain of application, different products can be identified in which nanomaterials play at present or have the potential to play in the future an important role.

The analysis figured out that the most promising application fields for the energy conversion will be:

• photovoltaics (solar cells),
• hydrogen conversion (fuel cells),
• thermoelectricity (themoelectronic devices).

For energy storage the most promising application fields will be:

• rechargeable batteries
• supercapacitors.

For energy saving the interesting applications fields will be:

• insulation (aerogels, smart glazes)
• more efficient lightning (LEDs, OLEDs).