The first of IRGC’s projects focusing on nanotechnology addressed the need for adequate risk governance approaches at the national and international levels in the development and commercial release of nanotechnology applications and nanoscale products. Using the IRGC’s risk governance framework as a conceptual starting point and with the contributions of experts at two technical workshops, the project team developed a generic global framework for the risk governance of nanotechnology, analysed the associated risks, identified deficits in risk governance structures and processes and developed recommendations for nanotechnology risk governance, including the management of these deficits.
| A summary of how IRGC viewed nanotechnology and the need for improving risk governance structures and processes was summaries in this. |
Following the first expert workshop in May 2005, a survey was undertaken amongst experts closely involved in the development and regulation of nanotechnology amongst governments, industry, research organisations and non-governmental organisations. The survey sought to research current thinking about the main risks associated with nanotechnology as well as recommendations for improving risk governance structures and processes. Reports of these surveys are all available as downloads :
- Survey report on ’Nanotechnology Governance : Volume A. The Role of Government’. Please click here to download the report.
- Survey report on ’Nanotechnology Governance : Volume B. The Role of Industry’. Please click here to download the report.
- Survey report on ’Nanotechnology Governance : Volume C. The Role of Research Organisations’. Please click here to download the report.
- Survey report on ’Nanotechnology Governance : Volume D. The Role of NGOs’. Please click here to download the report.
| A second expert workshop was held in January 2006, after which the project team began work researching and writing the project’s main report and recommendations. This was published in July 2006 as IRGC’s White Paper No.2 on Nanotechnology Risk Governance |
Also in July, IRGC co-organised with the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue the project’s concluding conference, ’The Risk Governance of Nanotechnology : Recommendations for Managing a Global Issue’. At this conference IRGC presented its initial risk governance recommendations to an invited audience who were given the opportunity to comment on, add to and influence the final recommendations. The conference provided a platform for speakers and delegates from governments, industry, research and academia, NGOs and international organisations, thus ensuring the widest possible range of opinions. The full report of the conference can be downloaded here.
| In October 2007 we concluded the project with the publication of a Policy Brief, Nanotechnology Risk Governance - recommendations for a global, coordinated approach to the governance of potential risks. |
