Opportunity creation from the confluence of technologies

A confluence of technologies evolves when more researchers begin to work at the intersection of two or more technology streams, and when products based on this intersection of technology begin to emerge. Thus, a confluence of technologies is characterized both by the bringing together of formerly disparate fields of knowledge and by the creation of new product markets. This paper reviews the literature that proposes that radical innovation and the emergence of new industries are more likely at the confluence of technology streams. From this literature we develop propositions about opportunity creation from the confluence of technology. We refine these propositions to apply specifically to a predominant confluence of technologies: that of nanotechnology and biotechnology.