Dear ETPN members & colleagues, we’re glad to share with you two open stakeholders consultations open by the International Hub for Sustainable Fabrication of Industrial-Scale Nano Fabrication – NanoFabNet Hub – an H2020 initiative which aim is to bring together all the expertise, means/infrastructures & information on sustainable nanofabrication, to make them accessible via a single entry point, and to deploy services for which an expression of need will have been made by various interested stakeholders. These two surveys are open, make them yours!

I- VALIDATION, HARMONISATION AND STANDARDISATION FEEDBACK SURVEY

Answer this survey by clicking here. Estimated time: 20 min.

II- STAKEHOLDER NANOFABNET VALUE-PROPOSITION SURVEY

Answer this survey by clicking here. Estimated time: 5-10 min.

Context

Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies make it possible to improve the properties and performance of products and processes in almost all industrial sectors (health, materials, construction, transport, energy, electronics, ICT…). However, numerous difficulties very often hinder their development and optimal deployment of these innovations. This concerns in particular the fragmentation of players, the difficulty of accessing information and reference documents (regulations, risk assessment & LCA tools, standards, methods and reference materials, best practice…), the need for metrology or the various expertise that are very often indispensable in the field. The demonstration of an undeniable gain compared to more traditional solutions and an adapted risk assessment throughout the life cycle also requires that validated and harmonised approaches be made available to market players.

It is on the basis of this observation that the NanoFabNet Hub is being created at the European level with its counterpart in US. It aims to support the establishment of a sustainable nanofabrication (bottom up & top down) throughout the value chains (i.e. from production to the integration of nanomaterials in complex systems/products). All expertise, infrastructure and key players will be accessible through a single entry point (SPE). The Hub will be co-constructed with all stakeholders (industry, state/European agencies, civil society/NGOs, academic laboratories, standardisation…) through various consultations and discussions to be held over the next 18 months. The idea is that, in the long term, this Hub should be economically sustainable with services to be offered to its members and that it should draw up roadmaps to feed the European strategy in the field.

Among the approaches being considered? Training/information, consultancy, organisation of inter-laboratory comparisons and networking. Certification/labelling, or even a brand to demonstrate competence in various key issues (sustainability, risk assessment, regulations, etc.) are also being considered to build confidence in these technologies.

All this, of course, remains to be defined according to the needs and expectations that will be expressed by the stakeholders surveyed in the coming months.

All these reflections are carried out within the framework of an H2020 project bringing together 15 partners from 9 countries (Belgium, Germany, France, Austria, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Poland, Italy, Norway and USA) supported by the European Commission. On the French side, LNE is responsible within NanoFabNet for Validation, Harmonisation and Standardisation issues. Links with multiple key initiatives such as EUROnanoLAB, Graphene Flagship, NanoSafetyCluster, the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructured (USA) or standardisation bodies (AFNOR in France, CEN, ISO) are already established.

Several surveys will be set up in the coming months to gather the opinions and needs of stakeholders in the field. As actors involved in nanotechnologies, nanomaterials or advanced materials, your contribution is a real added value for designing a Hub that best meets your expectations!

Contacts

• Georges Favre (LNE) / georges.favre@lne.fr
• Carine Chivas (LNE) / carine.chivas@lne.fr

NanoFabNet has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 2 Research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 886171.