Nomura Research Institute, Ltd. (NRI: Tokyo, Japan; Akihisa Fujinuma, President, CEO & COO) has projected the market size of products related to nanotechnology on a domestic production basis. This projection covered 8 basic items (21 subitems) in this market. These items are consumer products, automotive/bicycle products, industrial robot products, dental, orthopedic and medical products, electronics products, energy/environment-related products, materials, and measuring devices and equipment. The projections revealed that the market that was worth 942.1 billion yen as a whole in 2004 is expected to grow to 5,649.8 billion yen by 2010 and 23,061.2 billion yen by 2015.

NRI believes that the factors behind the expansion of the market size include: (1) the expansion of the existing market by making use of nanotechnology, (2) the replacement of existing products by products utilizing nanotechnology, and (3) the emergence of a new market through the practical application of nanotechnology. Accordingly, methods that can be commonly used for these factors have been adopted in calculating market size. Specifically, we assumed the growth rate of nanotechnology-related products, the replacement rate of existing products by products utilizing nanotechnology and the cost ratio of the nanotechnology-related portion in each product. The market size was then calculated by multiplying the actual production size (shipment value) for existing products by these rates.

NRI considers that in order for companies to create new businesses by applying nanotechnology, it is vital that all who are engaged in associated fields such as research, product development, manufacturing and marketing "share the knowledge." One way of achieving this goal of sharing knowledge is the "visualization of technology." The values of the projected market size announced this time can also be visualized graphically.

Since September 2005, NRI has been conducting "Proposing Japan's Future toward 2010," a campaign in which NRI is making a series of proposals regarding Japanese society and industry in 2010 and beyond. As part of this campaign, NRI has published three books. They are 2010-nen no Nihon (Japan in 2010), 2010-nen no IT rodo mappu (IT Road Map in 2010), and Korekara joho tsushin shijo de nani ga okoruka IT shijo nabigeta 2006 (What will happen in the future information and communications market IT Market Navigator 2006). NRI plans to publish our research results concerning the nanotechnology market including the projected values announced here as a book entitled Bijinesu to shite no nano-teku taizen (Handbook of Nanotechnology as a Business) on August 1. This book also introduces other visualization methods in relation to the future of nanotechnology.