Reliable knowledge on nanomaterials for innovative companies

contactpointnano.ch helps with questions about nanomaterials

A new contact point for start-ups, SMEs and industry bundles the scientific and regulatory expertise in the field of nanotechnology available in Switzerland. contactpointnano.ch thus builds a bridge between research and innovative application.

Switzerland occupies a leading position internationally in the field of nano-research. But when it comes to transposing existing knowledge into practice and fully exploiting the application potential of synthetic nanomaterials, companies face numerous questions and hurdles – from the characterization of new materials and their safe handling to the continuous changes in national and international regulatory requirements. To date, the answers to these questions have to be painstakingly gathered from different sources. contactpointnano.ch closes this gap by providing a single information hub for nano-related issues.

Managed by Empa researcher Peter Wick during a two-year pilot phase, contactpointnano.ch will pool and classify the scientific, industrial and regulatory expertise available in Switzerland and make it available to companies according to their needs and requirements. contactpointnano.ch will make no safety assessments nor carry out measurements itself, but instead provide companies with contact with relevant experts, organise trainings and workshops and act as a platform for the exchange of information. The initiative is supported by an expert council led by professors Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser and Alke Fink from the Adolphe-Merkle Institute at the University of Freiburg.

contactpointnano.ch has been officially launched at the Swiss NanoConvention 2018 at ETH Zurich in June 2018. The initiative to promote sustainable innovation has emerged in the context of Swiss nano-research, in particular of the Swiss National Research Programme “Opportunities and Risks of Nanomaterials” (NRP64) of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Action Plan for synthetic nanomaterials. It is supported by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SER), the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN).

Further information: www.contactpointnano.ch


Contact: Dr. Peter Wick, Particles-Biology Interactions, Director of contactpointnano.ch
Phone: +41 58 765 76 84
Email: contactpointnano@empa.ch

Documentation:
Poster
Presentation of contactpointnano.ch

Press release in French
Press release in German

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