Partners
Leitat is a private technical institute with more than 110 years of experience in industrial innovation processes.
We transform technological and scientific results into economic and competitive value for our clients and collaborating entities. Over 1500 customers benefit from our talent, creativity and strong commitment. We bring knowledge and innovation to our customers through applied research and technical testing in the fields of chemistry, energy, environment, materials, engineering and life sciences. We rely upon our 330 highly skilled team members who deliver flexible solutions to face any industrial challenge.
Having been involved in more than 150 projects in H2020, CIP, LIFE+, FP7, JTI as coordinator and partner, Leitat is a renowned player in European projects. More than 83 projects are currently under execution under the H2020 programme. The four principal business units of Applied Chemistry & Materials, Energy + Engineering, Circular Economy and Health & Biomedicine cover a broad field of sectors, technologies and applications and are supported by state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities.
The Human & Environmental Health & Safety group is structured in three main research areas/ teams: Materials Safety, Nanotechnology in Healthcare, Nanotoxicology & Risk Assessment. The main objective of the HEHS group focuses on offering technological support to different industrial sectors at different levels; to ensure that their products are safe for human health and for the environment as well as providing technological platforms to add value to their products.
Leitat is the operator and promoter of the IAM3DHub (International Advanced Manufacturing 3D Hub) in Catalonia. IAM main mission is to accelerate the adoption and development of additive manufactured and 3D printed technologies in European Union’ manufacturing sectors as an alternative way to design, develop and manufacture new competitive products and services that strengthens their competitiveness. IAM is a digital innovation hub and competence center in additive manufacturing that will provide SMEs access to a one-stop shop for assessing, guiding and addressing their needs in AM.
The Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) is a major independent research and consultancy centre of scientific excellence in the fields of...
occupational epidemiology and environmental health, hygiene and safety. We have established a world-wide presence on chemical- and nanotechnology-risk issues and have long-standing recognised expertise in hazard (in vitro, dose-response modelling), exposure assessment (e.g. measurement and modelling), risk assessment and governance for workplace hazards, including NMs in support of regulation and industrial innovation.
IOM is a WHO Collaborating Centre in Occupational Health, providing reviews for policy support on emerging occupational health issues for the EC, in collaboration with the European Parliament and UK Government e.g. WHO, RIP-oN 2 and RIP-oN 3 .Our specialists contribute to expert committees including the ISO Technical Committee 229 (Nanotechnologies) OECD WPMN working groups, BSI committees, as well as being members of the EU-US nano-EHS Communities of Research and the EU Nano-Safety Cluster. IOM has extensive relevant project experience, participating in over 45 EC projects and other national and international projects across a range of thematic programmes. We have worked on method development projects for hazard, exposure and risk assessment of NMs, (notably ENPRA (lead), MARINA (lead), SUN, GUIDEnano, NANoREG, NanoReg2 among others), as well as industry-led innovation projects for the development of nanoenabled products (e.g. NanCore and NanoSafePack) and strategic innovation projects (i.e. NANOfutures PolyGraph, Electrograph, NanoMaster and NanoSynth) where we were WP lead for the health, safety and exposure assessment aspects.
Currently IOM is involved in the H2020 projects of Gracious, BIORIMA (lead), NanoInformatix and Patrols.
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a public body established in October1945. As leader in research,...
development and innovation, CEA is active in four main areas: low-carbon energies, defense and security, information technologies and health technologies. In each of these fields, CEA maintains a cross-disciplinary culture of engineers and researchers, building on the synergies between fundamental and technological research.
The Laboratory of Innovation for New Energy Technology and Nanomaterials (LITEN) is one of CEA’s Laboratories. LITEN has a staff of 1000 people. Every year LITEN creates 400 research contracts and carries out R&D on behalf of industrial partners from a wide range of market segments: energy, land transportation, aerospace, construction, civil engineering, environmental, and IT industries, amongst others. Intellectual property forms a major part of LITEN activities. LITEN has a global portfolio of 1,100 international patents.
CEA-LITEN has a recognized expertise on the characterization and safety of nanomaterials and nano-enabled products along with the implementation of Safe-by-Design approaches through its NanoSafety Plaform (PNS) and NanoCharacterisation Platform (PFNC). CEA-PNS is strongly involved in Europe on Nanosafety since it hosts and organizes every two years one of the most important international conference on nanosafety related topics called Nanosafe conference. CEA-LITEN expertise in nanoparticles measurement, detection, and characterization in gas, liquids, complex media and at workplace is recognized through its participation to several National and European projects and clustering activities. Among others, CEA-LITEN coordinated the EU-FP7 NanoHouse project on the Life Cycle of paints containing nanoparticles and gained expertise on the aging of nanomaterial through environmental weathering. CEA-LITEN is also involved in Serenade French consortium thanks to which it gained expertise in the field of abrasion and particle release from nano-enabled products. CEA-LITEN was also involved in GUIDEnano, NanoReg, FutureNanoNeeds and NanoLeap projects on the assessment of exposure to nanomaterials and human protection along their whole value chain. CEA-PNS has largely developed for almost10 years the assessment of the potential exposure of workers at workplaces. To date, more than 400 workplaces have been studied in various fields (aeronautics, environment, microelectronics, research laboratories, cosmetics, food, steel industry…).
Additionally, CEA-PNS coordinates the NanoID project, which is a French national platform, dedicated to detection and identification of nanoparticles in complex matrix (solid, liquid, and gaseous) by their chemical nature and structure as a function of their size distribution together with their concentration. CEA also performs preclinical characterisation assays of nanomedicine under the framework of EU NCL project.
CEA-DRF-SyMMES is a privileged partner of CEA-LITEN/PNS, which will be involved in the project. This laboratory is part of the fundamental research division of CEA. It holds recognized expertise in nanoparticle physico-chemical characterization and hazard assessment (toxicity). On this topic, it has been involved in severa lEuropean projects and among them NANOMILE and presently BIORIMA, as well as SERENADE, a large national network on nanosafety and safer-by-design nanomaterials.
Fundación TECNALIA Research & Innovation (TECNALIA) is the leading private and independent research and technology entity in Spain and...
the fifth largest in Europe, employing around 1.400 people (225 of whom are PhD holders), with an income of 110 M€ in 2018. TECNALIA is an equal opportunity employer. Current ratio of female/male employees is 44/56. TECNALIA operates in all the fields of today and tomorrow’s industry, through 6 business divisions: 1) Industry and Transport, 2) Information and Communication Technologies, 3) Building, 4) Energy and Environment, 5) Health and Quality of Life and 6) Lab Services.
TECNALIA is a key agent in the European Research Area, and actively participates in the governing bodies of several European Technology Platforms, PPPs and JTIs (EEB, FOF, SPIRE, ARTEMIS, ETPIS). In FP7 activity TECNALIA had position 11th among RTOs and 23rd in absolute, according to the EC’s 7th FP7 Monitoring Report (Final), since we partnered in 377 projects, coordinating 81 of them. In H2020, TECNALIA is similarly active and participates in 219projects, coordinating 44 of them, up to October 2018. TECNALIA is a member of EARTO and of EUROTECH, linking together the most important research organisations in Europe. In the field of Intellectual Property Rights, TECNALIA has 555 patents in 167 patent families, with a return of around of 3 M€ per year.
TECNALIA has identified nanotechnology as a KET in all its Business Divisions. In this context, the Nanotechnology Cluster in TECNALIA is a transversal structure, aimed to generate knowledge in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The Cluster groups 116 researchers from the six Business Divisions, mainly PhDs (60%) in different fields (chemistry, physics, biology, engineering, etc). Its R&D activities span the industrial value chain from nanomaterials (e.g. graphene, nanocellulose, nanoparticles, nanofibers, etc.), to final nano-based products; considering the environmental, health and safety (EHS) impacts of nanotechnology. TECNALIA actively participates in standardization on nanotechnologies through the respective International, European and Spanish Standardization technical committees: ISO/TC 229 (Member), CEN/TC 352(Member) and UNE GT15 (Chair). TECNALIA is also strongly involved in the Nanosafety Cluster activities mainly through the “Industrial Innovation Liaison (i2L)”, a sub-group of the WG E: “Innovation and Safer by Design”.
The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology is an independent research institute carrying out environmental science across water, land and air.
Its science makes a difference underpinning environmental policies, commercial innovation and conservation action all around the world.
Humans depend on nature and are changing nature. The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology seeks to understand the environment, how it sustains life, and the human impact on it – so that together, people and nature can prosper.
The UKCEH has a long history of investigating, monitoring and modelling environmental change. Its 500 scientists provide the data and insights that researchers, governments and businesses need to create a productive, resilient and healthy environment. Scientific curiosity, integrity and transparency are at the heart of how the center works.
Its research extends from molecular biology to global climate modelling, and it carries out fieldwork across the world, from the semi-arid West African Sahel to the rainforests of South East Asia. Its focus is on mitigating and building resilience to climate change, preventing and reducing pollution, and creating sustainable ecosystems.
The center believes that the best solutions are co-designed and co-delivered, and our partnerships cross borders, sectors and disciplines. It is a strategic delivery partner for the Natural Environment Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation.
CNRS-CEREGE is a public research laboratory under a multiple head of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS),
the Paul Cézanne and Provence Universities, the IRD and the College de France (UMR 7330). The Sustainable Environment Group (24 permanent staffs and 10 students) of the CNRS is specialized in research on fate and impact of environmental pollutants, including risk assessment and remediation. The group is known as an expert group in molecular environmental science concerning the reactivity of heterogeneous and divided systems in soil and water. CEREGE-Sustainable development group was pioneer in studying the toxicity and impact of manufactured nanoparticles. This work is at an international level with a strong collaboration with the group of the Mark R. Wiesner from DUKE University (USA). The GDRi iCEINT head by J-Y Bottero has been created in 2009 to
enhance French-US collaboration.
As an agency of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment...
(Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu, RIVM) is a governmental research and knowledge institute providing policy support to the Dutch Government. RIVM performs tasks to safeguard and promote public health and environmental quality in the Netherlands. In its role as trusted advisor, RIVM provides the government with impartial advice on infectious diseases, vaccination programmes, population screening, lifestyle, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, environment, sustainability, safety and security.
The main tasks of RIVM are: 1) to conduct research; 2) to provide policy advice and recommendations; 3) to direct and implement prevention and control response (e.g. national coordination of health and environmental monitoring programmes); 4) to coordinate intervention programs; 5) to provide information to professionals and the general public.
Experts at RIVM participate in various international networks and are members of many international scientific committees and experts panels of the EU. RIVM also carries out activities for other international organisations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and OECD. RIVM’s commissioning bodies consist of ministries (the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation) and various public services such as the inspectorates. Thescientific quality of RIVM’s work is monitored by the Scientific Advisory Board. The independent position of RIVM is set down in statutes.
Currently, RIVM has about 1,500 employees. RIVM has a working group on nanotechnology (WG-nano), consisting of approximately 15 senior experts each covering a specific topic in relation to nanotechnology. This group safeguards an integrated approach of issues to be dealt with regarding safety of MNMs. RIVM contributes in multiple ways to the research into potential risks of nano-particles to human health and the environment.
Relevant for SAbyNA is the extensive experience in risk assessment on NFs, in a broad variety of EU projects, assignments of Dutch Ministries, assignments of the European Commission (Enterprise, Environment, SANCO) and Dutch inspectorates. RIVM represents the Netherlands in the OECD Working Party Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN), provides scientific input for the Dutch Competent Authorities under REACH, including NFs. RIVM is assigned as the coordination agency for all exposure, effect and risk assessment issues related to manufacturing, processing, and applying NFs in the Netherlands. RIVM has a long-standing and established expertise in integrated risk assessment in the health, environment, medical applications, food and non-food sectors, also for NFs, and is strongly involved in discussions about the need for new research, regulation and standards in nanotechnology.
GAIKER is a technological centre located Zamudio (Bizkaia), Spain and committed to providing industrial companies with innovative...
know-how. GAIKER has a great experience in the development of novel in vitro-basedtechnologies to assist Safe-by-design (SbD) and Risk Assessment (RA) of Nanomaterials and nanobased productsdevelopment. Our experience is based on our participation and leading roles in International Projects dealing withsafety and efficacy assessment of nano-based products. GAIKER led the FP7 initiative NanoTher. CurrentlyGAIKER is a key player in the development of future European regulations of nano-based products, with leadingroles in the NANoREG (FP7), NANoREG2(H2020) caLIBRAte(H2020) and NanoRigo (H2020) projects. Theexperience acquired on those projects about the RA tools and SbD will be of invaluable importance for theSAbyNA project. GAIKER has been also leading in NanoReg2 the determination of toxicological profile, RA andlife cycle assessment of several industrial case studies.The Biotechnology area at GAIKER is a member of the IVTIP (European in vitro testing industrial platform) andis also an active member of the NanoSafety Cluster and the European Technology Platform for NanoMedicine.Since 2013 Fundación GAIKER belongs to the EURL-ECVAM group of laboratories for the validation ofalternative methodologies within the EU.On the other hand, the Environmental Department of GAIKER supports companies in the development of cleanproducts and processes, based mainly on the life cycle perspective, through decision support tools like LCA. Inthis context, GAIKER has collaborated with different governmental institutions in the development of suitabletools focused on design for the environment, and has been a Life Cycle Assessment expert identified by theEnvironmental Management Body of the Basque Government (IHOBE) to provide support to companies in thisarea. Different projects have been carried out dealing with LCA and new materials, including nanomaterials, bothat national and European level, for example: NANOREG2 (H2020), FAST2LIGHT (FP7), and LASSIE-FP7(FP7). This expertise will allow us to continue the development of methodologies and assessment and integrationof LCA in the guidance of the SAbyNA project.
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Työterveyslaitos; FIOH) is a governmental research, development and specialist organization in...
the field of occupational health and safety. The main functions of the FIOH are research, specialist advisory services, training, and dissemination of information. Research on nanosafety has been going on in the FIOH since 2005, with primary goals to contribute to the safe use of nanomaterials (NMs) at workplaces and to support regulators, social partners and other stakeholders. FIOH has expertise and facilities on the assessment of occupational exposure to NMs, design and conduct of toxicological studies in cellular and experimental animal models, and performing risk assessment. FIOH produces tools and guidance for NM risk assessment and management, and provides information and training on the safe use of NMs.
ISTEC (Institute of Science and Technology of Ceramics) is one of the 113 Institutes of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), the...
largest research organization of Italy. ISTEC conducts fundamental and applied research on the development of ceramics for applications that include environmental remediation, regenerative medicine, advanced materials for aerospace, and self-healing materials. ISTEC cooperates closely with local Industry and organizations (€ 800k of collaborative research contracts per year) while continuously developing an international network with Institutional, Scientific, and Industrial partners in Europe, USA, and Japan. Over the last decade, ISTEC has successfully led several 7th Framework Programme projects in the area of biomaterials and nano-safety and currently contributes to a number of projects financed by the EU. Research at ISTEC has provided the background knowledge for the launch of start-ups that produce innovative nano-materials for biomedical applications.
Within ISTEC, the Group of Nanotechnology and Colloidal Processing, which will be involved directly in the project, has accumulated knowledge and hands-on experience on synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials; over the years, the group has investigated the use of advanced nanomaterials as functional materials for antibacterial textiles, self-cleaning surfaces, water purification. In parallel, the group has developed experimental procedures for the characterization of nano-materials relevant to the assessment of their toxicity.
ThinkWorks (TWORKS) is a small SME founded in 2001 and located in the Delft (Netherlands). ThinkWorks is specialized in the development...
of online decision support systems. ThinkWorks uses an in house developed object-oriented design environment to model operational and maintainable online expert systems.
For the implementation of this we use independently developed software instruments. These enable us to clearly record complex knowledge in a model and then make it available to end users via customized user interfaces.
We develop products with a wide variety of applications and fields. We do this independently or in collaboration with knowledge-intensive organizations, including TU Delft and TNO.
Our products are used for all kinds of purposes and deployed in various fields. This includes advanced cost-benefit analyzes, risk inventories, quick scans, diagnosis, assessment and reporting tools.
Established in 1949 in the South of France, ALLIOS, with private family capital, is the first independent French group specialized in the...
production of architectural paints for the building. Today, with several production sites, Allios covers the whole French territory and is also active abroad in 25 countries. With an annual turnover of 110millions €, the Allios group regroups 453 employees and annual production capacity of 23 000 tons. Since the beginning the group strategy was to develop high quality and innovative paints and technical covers dedicated to the professionals of building. Allios offers one of the widest range of paints available on the market while continuously adapted itself to the evolution of professionals needs.
Allios group as responsible industrialist adheres to the Coatings Care® charter, committing to the environmental protection, the safety of employees and the end users. Coatings Care® is designed to foster best management practices, and promote development of new technology that improves product performance. The framework and resources for the program deliver comprehensive guidance for manufacturing operations as well as critical support for customers and business partners throughout the supply and distribution chain.
Allios is an active member of the FPIEC (Fédération des industries des peintures, encres, couleurs, colles etadhésifs), with currently M. Menicucci (CEO Allios) being president. Allios is member of the FIPEC nanotechnology committee created in 2007 and dedicated to technologically watch, but more importantly favor voluntary responsible and sustainable development of nanotechnology to the paint sector to improve thermic and/or conducting properties, decrease raw material quantity, improve durability.
LATI Industria Termoplastici S.p.A is a family company founded in 1945 in Italy; the Research and Development facilities are located...
in Vedano Olona (VA) inside the historical plant. More than 70 years of experience in the sector of thermoplastics materials has led it to have a consolidated reputation in terms of quality and service and to be a global supplier of high level solutions for the industry. LATI has two production sites in Italy with a total capacity of 40 kton/y of technical thermoplastics compounds for technical purposes, 270 employees and more than2500 active formulations.
The innovation is a must in LATI strategy; it proposes products studied to comply with demanding requirements; qualified and expertise people, with the support of updated process technologies and testing facilities, create technical products using a wide range of polymers, reinforces and additives. The products are manufacturing using different types of industrial capabilities that can be adapted to the different types of products and processing technologies.
LATI has a broad range of products, it has Leadership position in flame retardant materials and special compounds; in addition of self-extinguishing compounds, many different categories are producing: high-temperature materials, thermal and or electrical conductive products, ultra-reinforced for elevated mechanical resistance, self-lubricated compounds and many formulations based on biopolymers, containing particular nanomaterials and material for3D printing process; all them can satisfy market needs, specific requirements, demanding application, or to comply with new standards or legislations.
The researched and internally developed materials are exported all over the world through its sales network and exploited in different sectors: electric, electronic, industrial, automotive, 3D printing, domestic and many other markets.
Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals) is a leading producer of specialty chemical and supply industries and...
consumers worldwide with innovative products and sustainable technologies. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we have approximately 10,000 people in around 80 countries, where of approximately 1500 in Sweden. Consistently ranked as one of the leaders in the area of sustainability, we are committed to making life more livable and our cities more human.
Pulp and Performance Chemicals (PPC), a business unit within Nouryon, is a leading global force in pulp bleaching technologies, colloidal silica (silica nanoparticles) and expandable microspheres. Nouryon is the world’s leading manufacturer of colloidal silicas with over 60 years’ experience of full scale production. Application areas for these are found in adhesives, catalysts, concrete, coatings, paper, pigments, fillers, textiles, and many others. We provide innovative and sustainable products and technologies that are widely used by customers in a large variety of industrial applications. Our 2,000 employees operate in 30 countries and the headquarter is located in Bohus, Sweden. The laboratory in Bohus is well equipped when it comes to synthesis and characterization of silica nanoparticles.
Institut Symlog de France is an SME private, 100% project-funded Social Sciences research consultancy specialized in societal risk...
governance topics, science/policy/civil society interface, stakeholder engagement, communication and dissemination. Founded in 1982, Symlog has provided action research, intervention, desk and major survey studies, facilitation and writing, program evaluation, teaching and training for a wide range of public and private French, European and international beneficiaries, on a paid and pro-bono basis. A particular specialty has been the close collaboration with natural scientists and technologists in order to derive and communicate main messages from their work, revealing its relevance and utility for society. Symlog researchers have published extensively in the open literature.
Duke University is a private institution that was founded in 1838. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,664, and approximately...
10,000 students pursuing post-graduate education in Engineering, Medicine, Public Policy, Law, Business, and Environment. Duke University’s setting is suburban, and the campus size is 8,709 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Duke consistently ranks among the top 20 universities in the world. In the US, its programs in environmental management and policy, ecology, environmental engineering, ecotoxicology, environmental law are typically ranked among the 10. The Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University has 118 full-time faculty on staff.
The Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnology (CEINT) is headquartered at Duke University and is a collaborative effort bringing together researchers from Duke, Carnegie Mellon University, Howard University, Virginia Tech, University of Kentucky, Stanford University, and Baylor. Created in 2008 with funding from the National Science Foundation and the US Environmental Protection Agency, CEINT performs fundamental research on the behavior of nano-scale materials in laboratory and complex ecosystems. Research includes all aspects of nanomaterial transport, fate and exposure, as well as ecotoxicological and ecosystem impacts. Additionally, CEINT is developing risk assessment tools to provide guidance in assessing existing and future concerns surrounding the environmental implications of nanomaterials.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 862419. This publication reflects only the author’s views and the European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.