Oct. 3, 2002 — When it comes to supporting nanotechnology research, European governments could be investing roughly double that of the United States by next year, according to a new report.

“It’s Ours to Lose,” released Thursday by the European NanoBusiness Association, found that European research funding will exceed U.S. spending in 2003 by as much as a factor of two or greater if funding from individual European Union nations is included.

The report, billed as the first analysis of European spending on nanotech, cautioned that direct EU-U.S. comparisons are difficult to make because funding mechanisms differ. But the report said it accounted for differences, such definitions of nanotech, allocation of funding among governmental divisions or departments and spending by individual states or nations.

The report’s authors said they looked beyond headline figures, such as those offered by Europe’s Sixth Framework Programme and the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative, because they can be misleading and incomplete.