18.3 Frames and omparators 387approach to the public, allusions to the biotechnology conflict in Europe can be
found, although many prominent scientists come from the United States where
biotechnology has not met with particular problems among the public. In
Europe, in contrast to fears among policy makers, SB has not met with strong
objections so far. A reason might be that it has not impinged on food, and food
issues are used to be major conflict triggers not only regarding GE.
18.3.2 Nanotechnology: Technology as Progress
Nanotechnology is an emerging technology par excellence, bearing high expec-
tations and benefiting from massive public funding – the EC alone, for example,
spent €3.5 billion through the 7th Framework Programme (FP7). Regarding
potential risk, both allegations and serious concerns have been addressed more
professionally than with biotechnology in its early days. Assessments mostly
resulted in identifying far-reaching knowledge gaps to be filled in incremen-
tally but rapidly. In contrast to the perception of some technical experts and
policy makers, press coverage has not particularly focused on risk so far; rather,
the potentials for huge benefits have been mostly to the fore [60]. Despite many
speculations that nanotechnology might elicit concerns similar to GMOs (and
occasional demonstrations limited mainly to France), it succeeded to evade the
public rejection trap.
To address some negative speculations on nanotechnology, a variety of public
engagement exercises have been set up (see e.g., [61]). Apart from more aca-
demic social science research, information initiatives such as the “nanoTruck” in
Germany, science fairs, and similar upstream outreach activities as well as a
number of participatory events of different forms are belonging to a new way of
successfully introducing a novel technology “in a responsible way.” Among other
outcomes, this focus helped coin the term “responsible research and innovation”
the EC subscribed to also for other technological areas [62], which will be further
discussed in the next section.
18.3.3 Information Technology: Technology as Gadget
IT or computer technology changed our life over the last decades in an unprec-
edented way. Few technologies had a similar impact on modern society.
Computers govern virtually every aspect of our modern existence and cause an
explosion in productivity. Initial resentments were overcome quickly, and IT has
developed into a synonym for the most powerful, pervasive, and, at the same
time, “cool” technology imaginable. Gadgets and toys galore have contributed to
this image, and possessing the newest product has become the most relevant
status symbol. There is a critical debate on the aspects such as intellectual prop-
erty, privacy, or cybercrime, to name but a few, yet the technology as such is
established beyond any question.
SB can be considered as an IT too, only using a different medium, namely,
DNA base sequences rather than software codes. Protagonists stress the IT anal-
ogy to a remarkable extent, and many pertinent examples and apparent similari-
ties between SB and IT appear in the literature. The analogies mostly refer to