Stakeholder Spotlight – SAXOCON
Tell us a little about your organisation. How do the areas of nanotechnology and sustainability impact your work?
We help companies assess the biological and toxicological risk associated with using nanomaterials and nanotechnology in their products and processes. We measure and characterise nanomaterials and the potential for the release of nanoparticles, which helps make products and processes safe. We advise industry regarding the supply chain for the materials in their products.
What is the newest/most innovative development in nanotechnology that your organisation is excited about now?
We offer Nanotoxicology Risk Assessments on a commercial basis – this is a service that we have not yet seen been offered by any other company in Europe. We provide access to knowledge and analytical methods that until now were only available to researchers. We have developed a tool that can sample, measure, and characterise nanoparticles and thereby assess the impact of every individual particle on a statistical basis. We offer this service to all industries applying nanomaterials and nanotechnology to their products.
What, in your opinion, is the most important thing (tool, process, support, etc.) that is needed right now to help grow and strengthen the nanotechnology community
Awareness and acceptance. Awareness involves understanding the risks associated with nanotechnology. Acceptance involves taking responsibility for mitigating the risks associated with nanotechnology. Sound and reasonable risk mitigation will enable responsible growth and ultimately strengthen the development of nanotechnology.
What, in your opinion, are important factors or influences that will affect the direction of the nanotechnology community in the future?
Openness, new regulations and limits will require new measurement techniques that are better suited to measuring and characterising nano (i.e., produce required and reliable data). The EU needs to be open to new and better methods for measurements based on updated technology.
Written by: Dr. Kirsten Inga Kling, Senior Scientist Analysis and Characterisation (SAXOCON A/S), Virum (Denmark). For more information in SAXOCON, visit their website: SAXOCON A/S
