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Work packages

WP1 The Demands – what knowledge, tools and services stakeholders (private, public) require to safely manage nanotechnology

WP1 starts by generating an inventory of stakeholder needs to guarantee safe usage of nanomaterials and development of safe products. This includes needs of regulators (EC, EC agencies and Member States) and of private stakeholders (industries, safety service providers). As needs may evolve over time, a mechanism will be put in place to update the inventory constantly over time.

WP2 The resources – Mapping the available resources addressing Risk management and Safe innovation

In WP2 the focus is on creating an inventory of available resources related to nanosafety issues. Relevant service suppliers will be identified, and their specific competences and infrastructure will be mapped. In addition to collecting the information of resources of service suppliers, information on available tools, methods, approaches and trainings will be compiled. This inventory of existing tools will be published on the EC4SafeNano website. Furthermore, this WP addresses the need to create mechanisms to overcome the barriers to data collection and sharing and make recommendations for best practice within the framework of the Horizon2020 Open Research Data Pilot. The work includes an inventory of available tools for collecting, storing, and sharing data, as well as identifying barriers related to data sharing and developing recommendations regarding solutions to maximise data sharing and data accessibility.

WP3 The services – Building the services the various stakeholders (private, public) require to safely manage nanotechnology

WP3 will build and make available to potential customers the catalog of services of the EC4SafeNano Centre through the project website, including a preliminary consultation through a focus target group of selected organizations, before finalizing the catalogue.

WP4 The Demonstration – Testing the capability to deliver services and Benchmark

WP4 is designed to demonstrate the functionality and implementation of the EC4SafeNano Centre and its embedded Associated Partners in terms of provision of expertise and governance. Specific objectives are to demonstrate that, through the help of the catalogue of services developed under WP3, the Center and the Associates Partners, collectively, are able to provide science-based answers to questions raised by stakeholders. To test the performance of the EC4SafeNano Centre case studies will be launched addressing and demonstrating the collective process for provision of answers to questions received from stakeholders from all targeted groups (EC, Member States, industry – with input from WP1). These case studies will demonstrate the capabilities and functionality of the Centre. Based on learning from the experience gained with the case studies optimization of the implemented structure including its governance will be undertaken and results fed into WP5 where the business model of the EC4SafeNano Centre will be elaborated.

WP5 The governance and sustainability – Towards sustainable activities

WP5 is devoted to the definition and identification of a sustainable structure able to maintain up to date mapping of the needs all stakeholders in order to manage nanotechnology safely, and the inventories of all available resources that can be engaged in risk management and safe innovation. Such a sustainable structure will also be able to define and deliver services to stakeholders requiring support to manage nanotechnology safely, based on adequate resources to be mobilized.  Therefore, WP5 objectives are:

  1. to set up the legal mechanisms to operate the centre after the end of the project, addressing the contractual relations, IPR issues, governance; and
  2. to build a business model and to design a business plan for a sustainable centre.

WP6 Networking platforms and engaging stakeholders, dissemination

WP6 will network existing nanosafety platforms and other stakeholders and involve them in the definition and the preparation of the European hub of services and support, EC4SafeNano, especially through the consultations organized in WP1 to WP5. 7 networks are planned: 5 focus networks respectively on Research, Policies and regulations, Education and training, Standardization and certification, Technological innovation; a network of national platforms and an international network. In WP6 too, targeted communication and dissemination activities in and beyond the networks will ensure project visibility and timely sharing of information from the project, following a strong open-access (OA) philosophy. All the deliverables of general interest will be made available without delay on the project website. This website will be designed as a comprehensive and accessible European network portal connected to social media (Twitter, LinkedIn). Further communication will be performed at conferences and in journals, brochures, leaflets and newsletters.

WP7 Coordination and Management

This WP will provide the project coordination as defined in the Grant Agreement, manage relations with the EC, and undertake the project administration, regular reporting, financial management, quality assurance and impact monitoring. WP7’s main objectives are to coordinate the efforts of the partners and promote dissemination of information between the work packages and the partners, maintain communications with the EC on behalf of the project partners, manage project finances, prepare periodic activity reports and oversee the timely production of deliverables, oversee IPR matters, update the implementation and exploitation plans and promote gender equality in the project. A project Coordination Committee (CoC) will ensure an effective information flow and knowledge exchange within the consortium, with Associated Partners, with the International Advisory Board (IAB) and with the main actors of already existing networks.

Several workshops will be organized during the course of the project. More precisely, in the 3 years of the project, several dedicated workshops will be organized in addition to the general project progress meetings such as the Kick-off meeting, the annual General Assemblies and the final restitution meeting. These dedicated workshops will usually last 2 or 3 days, in parallel sessions, and will address several issues related to the various WPs of the project. The table below presents the initial plan for the workshop scheduling.