Jan. 24, 2006 – An international foundation released a survey report today that contains nanotechnology governance information and recommendations for improving risk governance.
The International Risk Governance Council’s (IRGC) report, “Survey on Nanotechnology Governance, Volume A: The Role of Government,” includes nanotechnology governance information for 11 economies and related nanotechnology R&D data from a total of 27 economies, according to a news release.
The survey was conducted as part of a current IRGC nanotechnology project intended to address the need for adequate risk governance approaches at the national and international levels in the development of nanotechnology and nanoscale products. The project is funded by the Swiss Federal Agency for Development and Cooperation, the U.S. Department of State and the Swiss Reinsurance Company.
The survey report was written by Mike Roco, senior adviser to the U.S. National Science Foundation, and Emily Litten, nanotechnology project manager at IRGC. It includes each survey response as well as summaries, and identifies more than 45 recommendations for how risk governance of nanotechnology may be improved in areas such as stakeholder engagement, communication and research.
The recommendations will be used as input to the project’s next step: a workshop at the end of January at which international experts will develop an integrated set of recommendations for consideration at a conference in Switzerland in the summer.
– David Forman