What are benefits and risks of advancing nanotechnology research?
 

What are the expectations and concerns of the different people impacted by the development of this fast-growing field?
 

Could we gather this knowledge and design recommendations to shape future policies that will drive these advancements in a more responsible way?

NANO2ALL is an initiative funded by the HORIZON 2020 Programme of the European Commission and aims to support the cultivation of a Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) governance ecosystem, by enhancing transparency and public confidence, co-production of knowledge, societal engagement and informed dialogue as key factors in addressing societal concerns regarding the use of nanotechnology.

Led by Spi, a Portuguese consultancy organization that aims to support and promote innovation, NANO2ALL involves 12 partners, including Ecsite.

The first goal of the project is to develop a platform for mutual learning and societal engagement in responsible nanotechnology. This online platform is translated in more than ten different languages, constituting the starting point of many actions foreseen in the scope of the project.

Secondly, we will design activities to address knowledge gaps between the various people interested in advancing responsible nanotechnology. These many stakeholders include scientists, research funders, policy-makers, industries, the media and, of course, citizens.
NANO2ALL wants to stand on the shoulders of these successful initiatives by building on the previously generated knowledge while designing own innovative actions. Therefore, our activities will be based on information we will compile from key finished or ongoing projects that have already approached the theme of responsible nanotechnology.

To identify a shared understanding of the benefits and risks of advancing responsible nanotechnology, we will organise constructive citizens-only and later national multi-stakeholder dialogues. The six Ecsite third-parties will host and promote these local initiatives that will feed the end-event at the EU level. The ultimate objective is to develop an innovation agenda to be used by policy-makers at national and EU level that is based on and starts from societal needs, values and purposes.

Our final goal is to suggest evidence-based recommendations and develop a roadmap to enhance societal engagement in responsible nanotechnology.

We believe that NANO2ALL will improve citizens’ awareness, increase public trust, lead a better acceptability of nanotechnologies’ based products and solutions, and finally, it will contribute to a more inclusive European society.

Stay tuned and get involved!

NANO2ALL has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement no.685931