Documents nanotechnology 307 results

"The Nordic welfare states are facing new challenges in an increasingly globalised world. Fiercer competition has underlined the need for the Nordics to enhance competitiveness – and to support and nurse growth in industry and businesses.

This report presents the key findings and policy recommendations of the project “Nordic Growth Sectors.” Having identified growth companies in the Nordics, the project analyses growth drivers, the match between supply and demand of labour, the work environment in the companies, and growth and other companies' perceptions of existing framework conditions and improvement needs.



Based on the analyses and on a Nordic Policy Forum held in Copenhagen with participation of policymakers from the central administrations, labour market organisations, universities and growth companies, a set of policy reccommendations are developed, the most important of which are to:



Introduce more flexible retirement schemes

Deminish international recruitment red tape

Prepare graduates better for employment

Create national work environment “barometers”

Introduce more flexible child care facilities

Carry out cost-benefit analysis of complex regulation"

"There has been a considerable scientific, governmental, and public interest in potential adverse health effects associated with exposure to engineered or synthesized nanomaterials. Although such effects have not been reported in humans, there is accumulating evidence from animal studies that exposure to some nanomaterials may be harmful. There is sparse knowledge as to the likelihood, frequency, and intensity of exposures experienced by those working around engineered nanoparticles. Similarly, there is little knowledge regarding the potential existence, type, and dose dependence of adverse health effects, which might result from workplace exposures to engineered nanoparticles. This uncertainty, reflecting a relative lack of research, makes it difficult at present (and probably for the near future) to fully rely upon firm scientific evidence for the development of rational, preventive, and screening measures to protect against such potential effects. Recognizing this predicament, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM)has developed this guidance document for occupational medicine physicians and their colleagues. The purpose of the document is to offer current prudent preventive recommendations on the topics of exposure monitoring, exposure controls, and medical surveillance. This document will not attempt to review the rapidly evolving animal toxicology literature in detail, as any review would be quickly outdated, but general areas of concern will be discussed."

"Nanomedicine, the application of nanotechnology in healthcare, offers numerous very promising possibilities to significantly improve medical diagnosis and therapy, leading to an affordable higher quality of life for everyone. At the same time nanomedicine is a strategic issue for the sustainable competitiveness of Europe.
In order to avoid that this young and very fast growing discipline suffers from fragmentation and a lack of coordination, industry and academia – together with the European Commission – have identified the need for a European initiative to intermesh the several strands of nanomedicine into a firm strategy for advancement.
The resulting “European Technology Platform on NanoMedicine” is an industry-led consortium, bringing together the key European stakeholders in the sector. In September 2005 it delivered a common vision of this technologically and structurally multi-faceted area 1, and defines the most important objectives in this Strategic Research Agenda (SRA).
The SRA addresses the Member States of the European Union, its Candidate Countries and Associated States to the EU Framework Programmes for research and tech no lo gi cal development, as well as the European Commission itself. Its main aim is to put forward a sound basis for decision making processes for policy makers and funding agencies, providing an overview of needs and challenges, existing technologies and future opportunities in nanomedicine. The SRA also takes into consideration education and training, ethical requirements, benefit/risk assessment, public acceptance, regulatory framework and intellectual property issues, thus representing a possible reference document for regulatory bodies. ..."

"As the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic spreads, technological applications and initiatives are multiplying in an attempt to control the situation, treat patients in an effective way and facilitate the efforts of overworked healthcare workers, while developing new, effective vaccines. This analysis examines in detail how ten different technological domains are helping the fight against this pandemic disease by means of innovative applications. It also sheds light on the main legal and regulatory challenges, but also on the key socio-ethical dilemmas that the various uses of these technologies pose when applied in a public-health emergency context such as the current one. A scan of the technological horizon in the context of Covid-19 indicates that technology in itself cannot replace or make up for other public policy measures but that it does have an increasingly critical role to play in emergency responses. Covid-19, as the first major epidemic of our century, represents an excellent opportunity for policy-makers and regulators to reflect on the legal plausibility, ethical soundness and effectiveness of the deployment of emerging technologies under time pressure. Striking the right balance will be crucial for maintaining the public's trust in evidence-based public health interventions."

"There is a widely held conception that progress in science and technology is our salvation, and the more of it, the better. This, however, is an oversimplified and even dangerous attitude. While the future will certainly offer huge changes due to such progress, it is far from certain that all of these changes will be for the better. The unprecedented rate of technological development that the 20th century witnessed has made our lives today vastly different from those in 1900. No slowdown is in sight, and the 21st century will most likely see even more revolutionary changes than the 20th, due to advances in science, technology and medicine. Particular areas where extraordinary and perhaps disruptive advances can be expected include biotechnology, nanotechnology, and machine intelligence. We may also look forward various ways to enhance human cognitive and other abilities using, e.g., pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering or machine-brain interfaces - perhaps to the extent of changing human nature beyond what we currently think of as human, and into a posthuman era. The potential benefits of all these technologies are enormous, but so are the risks, including the possibility of human extinction. This book is a passionate plea for doing our best to map the territories ahead of us, and for acting with foresight, so as to maximize our chances of reaping the benefits of the new technologies while avoiding the dangers."

"The development, production and technological applications of carbon nanotube are rapidly growing, due to the unique characteristics of these fibers. Consequently, an increase is also expected in human exposure to such materials. However, little is still known about the safety of the multiple sorts of carbon nanotubes.
Recent studies have suggested that some types of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have similar effects as asbestos. This report shows that rigid, long and needle-like MWCNTs induce inflammation and DNA damage in the lungs and in cultured cells, while flexible, long and tangled MWCNTs do not. It appears that the rigidity of MWCNTs is a key feature in triggering a specific inflammatory reaction and in causing cellular alterations involved in cancer formation.
These results provide new information on the adverse effects of MWCNTs and are useful in assessing which forms of MWCNTs require regulatory attention and special safety measures in occupational settings."

"The nanotechnologies and nanomaterials sector is a huge and growing industry. The amount of legislation already in place and still to be produced in order to regulate it will be very substantial. What process is used to produce such regulation? The answer is that very diverse regulatory approaches are and will be used. The approach taken by the European Commission diverges from the one taken by the European Parliament. Moreover, at national level, Member States add their own contribution to the process. This article attempts to describe the landscape and various regulatory actions that have been undertaken by all these actors in the European Union. It first describes the role played by the European Commission and Parliament. It then looks at specific regulatory initiatives from a more sectoral perspective: Cosmetics, Food information, Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Biocides. The third part of the paper describes some major national initiatives, in particular those concerning the establishment of reporting systems for nanomaterials, mixtures, articles and consumer products containing them, as an example of how to improve the current governance in the EU and to prevent the risks to human health and the environment. The fourth part gives the perspective of the European Trade Union Confederation. Finally it presents some conclusions and policy recommendations, taking into consideration the diversity of regulatory approaches."

"L'ETUI mène depuis plusieurs années un travail d'information sur les nanotechnologies. Une contribution supplémentaire est apportée avec cette brochure qui traite de la production et de l'utilisation de nanomatériaux sur les lieux de travail. La mise sur le marché et la diversification des usages des nanomatériaux se font à un rythme effréné, alors que l'impact sociétal est loin d'avoir été suffisamment débattu et que le cadre réglementaire européen paraît peu adapté à ces matériaux de taille microscopique. Les données actuelles quant aux risques qu'ils impliquent pour ceux qui les fabriquent ou les utilisent sont éparses et peu systématiques. Des études sur l'animal nous envoient des signaux d'alarme quant à la toxicité de certains d'entre eux."