Abstract
Nanotechnologies seem to have huge potential to bring benefits in areas as diverse as drug development, water decontamination, information and communication infrastructures, and the production of stronger, lighter and perfect nanomaterials. This potential attracts global investment from governments and private sectors in nanotechnologies with the hopes that R&D and commercial applications of nanomaterials, nanodevices, nanoparticles and nanodrugs will provide new impetus, after the ebb-tides of biotechnology and dotcom, to turn faltering economies around. The global governmental funding has been actively promoting industrial and academic cooperation to realize big prosperity from the nanotechnologies. This article summarizes historic trends and status of global governmental supports for nanotechnologies.