NANOtechnology RIsk GOvernance aims to develop and implement a transparent, transdisciplinary Nanotechnology Risk Governance Framework and a related Risk Governance Council.
Overview
NANORIGO is a project funded by the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme of the European Union. It is a collaboration between 27 partners and a coordinator from 14 different European countries and a global advisory board.
NANORIGO (NANOtechnology RIsk GOvernance) started on 1st January 2019. Coordinated by Aarhus University and involving 28 other partners from across Europe, this 50 month, €4.7 million project will develop and implement a transparent, transdisciplinary and active Risk Governance Framework (RGF) and establish the basis of a related Council (RGC)for manufactured nanomaterials and nano-enabled products. The RGF will be developed through engagement with stakeholders across research, industry, regulation and civil society, and will be based on high-quality scientific data and tools for the physicochemical characterization of nanomaterials, and the assessment of exposure, hazard and risk for humans and the environment.
The NANORIGO consortium will work closely with the two other risk governance projects funded under the same NMBP-13-2018 call: RiskGONE and Gov4Nano, that are addressing the same goal, to ultimately ensure a sustainable and equitable RGF and RGC developed for nanotechnology in Europe.
Objectives
The following specific objectives O1-O3 will help to establish a Risk Governance Framework as a result from the NANORIGO project:
Objective 1
- Develop and apply criteria for risk evaluation and acceptance and transfer of acceptable risk
- Developing and employing a strategy to access and apply available high-quality data, models and test guidelines to achieve a minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL6)
- Develop and apply consistent criteria for tools in all steps of risk evaluation
- Develop and apply criteria for what are “acceptable risks”, and from this guideline for manufacturers, regulators and insurance companies to build trust
Objective 2
- Develop reinforced decision-making tools to facilitate risk communication
- Design and reinforce practical, robust, easy-to-use and cost-effective measurement and decision-making tools
- Taking societal risk perception by all stakeholders duly into account based on extensive engagement
- Facilitate transparent and responsible risk communication between all stakeholders
Objective 3
- Establish a new multi-stakeholder driven, transdisciplinary, sustainable and science-based Risk Governance Framework (RGF) and Risk Governance Council (RGC)
- Establishing the basic requirement for a new Risk Governance Framework (RGF) for all stakeholders
- Integrate acceptance criteria, transfer and decision-making tools into the new operational RGF
- Lay the foundation and start-up of a Nanotechnology Risk Governance Council (NRGC) to implement and run the RGF, and a road map for future scientific and regulatory research
Expected results
- At the end of the project, the expected results are the following:
- A transparent, self-sustained and science-based European Nanotechnology Risk Governance Council (RGC)
- Transparent Risk Governance Framework (RGF) tools for managing possible nanotechnologies risks
- Availability of high quality data for decision making
- Consistency of approaches in all EU Member States and internationally
1 January 2019 – 28 February 2023
Contact
- Project Coordinator: Aarhus Universitet, Denmark
- Project website: http://nanorigo.eu/
- E-mail: nanorigo@bios.au.dk