Advanced materials: Research for safety over the lifecycle Germany's federal agencies responsible for human and environmental safety present research needs from a regulatory perspective
What it's about:
Advanced materials hold the potential to address global and societal challenges in e.g. health care, energy transition and substituting substances of concern or critical raw materials. However, to fully exploit societal benefits of advanced materials, their safety for man and the environment as well as sustainability over the whole life cycle is of central relevance. This includes to avoid or mitigate potential adverse impacts related to the production, use and end of life of advanced materials in a timely manner. In response to the External Link:European Commission’s communication on ‘Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership’, the German Environment Agency (UBA), the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the National Metrology Institute (PTB) have published a External Link:strategic agenda for research in the field ofsafe advanced materials.
Considering that material innovations are funded with the objective to provide safer and more sustainable solutions compared to conventional chemicals and applications, it has to be ensured that the materials themselves are safe. However, safety research usually lags behind innovation. Therefore, the German federal authorities responsible for human and environmental safety, and metrology are accompanying the rapid pace of innovation of advanced materials with a long-term research strategy focusing on research needs from a regulatory perspective.
The strategy aims to guide and prioritise the German federal authorities’ research, but also intends to inform policy makers, funding bodies and the scientific community on regulatory relevant research needs for safe advanced materials. The presented strategy provides an agenda to safety research supporting Regulatory Preparedness for regulators and “Safe and Sustainable by Design” (SSbD) for innovators.
Areas covered by the strategy include:
- horizon scanning and early warning system activities to identify relevant advanced materials and their applications, knowledge gaps and signals of concern,
- research to close knowledge gaps on the safety of advanced materials to encounter the complexity and dimensions of the emerging diversity of advanced materials,
- development of testing and assessment strategies to support a more appropriate regulatory risk assessment,
- development and validation of timely and up to date harmonised testing methods to provide a basis for a sound risk assessment based on reliable hazard and exposureExposureTo glossary information,
- promotion of safe and sustainable design of advanced materials to assist innovators.
For each of these areas, the strategy outlines the current state of research, research needs, and the expected impact of the research. Additionally, the strategy highlights cross-cutting topics that act as research enablers such as data collection according to the ‘FAIR principles’, digitisation, networking and education as well as state-of-the-art laboratories equipment. Furthermore, the research strategy provides an overview of current research on advanced materials by the responsible German federal authorities.
The now published “Strategic Research Agenda for safe advanced materials” is the fourth update of joint research strategies on nano and advanced materials of the German Higher Federal Authorities since 2007.
Further information:
Joint research strategy:
External Link:https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/strategic-research-agenda-for-safe-advanced
Working description on advanced materials of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):
External Link:https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/advanced-materials-working-description_4b5ba38d-en.html
Communication of the European Commission on “Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership”:
External Link:https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/industrial-research-and-innovation/chemicals-and-advanced-materials/advanced-materials-industrial-leadership_en
Information on UBAshort forGerman Environment Agency`s engagement for safety and sustainability of advanced materials: External Link:https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/topics/chemicals/nanotechnology/advanced-materials
Further information from BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment on Advanced Materials
Frequently asked questions on Nanomaterials
External Link:https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/service/frequently-asked-questions/topic/nanomaterials-tiny-particles-mediate-manifold-properties/
Research on nanomaterials
External Link:https://www.bfr.bund.de/en/research/research-fields/toxicology/nanomaterials/
About the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH). It protects people's health preventively in the fields of public health and veterinary public health. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment provides advice to the Federal Government as well as the Federal States (‘Laender’) on questions related to food, feed, chemical and product safety. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment conducts its own research on topics closely related to its assessment tasks.
Joint press release from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment), the German Environment Agency (UBAshort forGerman Environment Agency, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) and the National Metrology Institute (PTB)