Nanomaterials and other innovative materials (advanced materials) offer interesting application possibilities and functions. They are therefore increasingly used in new products and in many industries. However, the possible undesirable consequences must also be carefully researched and evaluated. NanoTrust-Advanced, now the 6th phase of the long-term NanoTrust project that has been running since 2007, will examine the state of this development in Austria.
"In Europe, nanomaterials and advanced materials (NM&AM for short) are among the so-called "key enabling technologies" that should guarantee the competitiveness of the European economy for the coming decades. That's why policy advice is so important to us," emphasises project leader and security researcher André Gazsó from ITA. The NanoTrust team - in addition to Gazsó, ITA researchers Gloria Rose and Anna Pavlicek are involved - has been identifying possible research topics for the Austrian security research programme ("Nano-EHS"), for which the BMK ministry is responsible, since 2016.
NanoTrust-Advanced will initially investigate the safety and risk-relevant aspects. As before, the results will be published regularly in the established NanoTrust dossiers and in scientific journals. Key topics will be up for debate at the annual NanoTrust conference.