Modernizing innovation governance to meet policy ambitions through trusted environments.

A vision for modernization of nanotechnology innovation governance is a Safe Innovation Approach (SIA). SIA combines two concepts: Safe-by-Design (SbD) and Regulatory Preparedness (RP). SbD aims to motivate industry to integrate safety considerations early in the innovation process and onwards. RP aspires to improve the anticipation capabilities of regulators and develop legislation that can keep pace with innovations. The pace, scope and complexity of nanotechnology present novel challenges for governance, especially law and regulation. A possible option forward for nanotechnology is to move towards a more goal-based governance system including anticipatory regulation. Anticipatory regulation and experimentation can be considered as an agile approach with emphasis on flexibility, collaboration and innovation. SIA can be seen as part of experimentation in support of agile regulatory practices. A trusted environment is needed in which innovators, regulators and other stakeholders are motivated to understand each other's concerns and together develop solutions to anticipate and address safety whilst also facilitating the development of safe, sustainable and socially beneficial innovations. Trust drivers to facilitate trusted environments include focusing on the public interest, competence, respect, integrity, inclusion, fairness and openness. Here, we explore the concept of building trusted environments in the context of the SIA for nanotechnologies.

Foresight Study on the Risk Governance of New Technologies: The Case of Nanotechnology.

Technology-led innovation represents an important driver of European economic and industrial competitiveness and offers solutions to societal challenges. In order to facilitate responsible innovation and public acceptance, a need exists to identify and implement oversight approaches focused on the effective risk governance of emerging technologies. This article describes a foresight study on the governance of new technologies, using nanotechnology as a case example. Following a mapping of the governance landscape, four plausible foresight scenarios were developed, capturing critical uncertainties for nanotechnology governance. Key governance elements were then stress tested within these scenarios to see how well they might perform in a range of possible futures and to inform identification of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for nanotechnology governance in Europe. Based on the study outcomes, recommendations are proposed regarding the development of governance associated with the responsible development of new technologies.