The combination of remarkable mechanical properties and unique electronic properties of carbon nanotubes(CNTs) offers significant potential for revolutionary applications in electronics de-vices, computing and data storage technology, chemical and biosensors, composites, nanoelec-tromechanical systems(NEMS), and as tip in scanning probe microscopy(SPM) for imaging and nanolithography, most of which are the subject areas of ICMENS2005. The ability to grow in-organic nanowires with controlled properties and orientation provides another competitive ave-nue for some of the applications mentioned above particularly in sensors and electronics. In this talk, growth and characterization of both CNTs and inorganic nanowires such as germanium and high temperature oxides will be discussed with a focus on the applications.