Nanotechnology is the science of materials at the molecular or subatomic level, and offers as key enabling technology great potential for addressing a number of societal challenges across a variety of sectors in Europe. Already at the forefront of innovation, European companies are harnessing the power of nanotechnology to create new consumer products, revolutionise medicine, and even increase agricultural productivity. However, the use of nanomaterials raises some safety and sustainability concerns, which are yet to be clarified in a Europe-wide regulatory context for major stakeholders.

The H2020-funded European project NanoFabNet is addressing these questions and has planned to establish a strong international hub – the NanoFabNet HUB – for sustainable nanofabrication. The future network will not only serve the EU's nanotechnology ecosystem, but also global partners from industry and politics. The project will target industry, academics, and policy-makers, in order to defragment activities and geopolitical barriers, and thus improve cooperation.

This virtual online platform will be a community-owned, one-stop-shop for all matters and concerns pertaining to sustainable nanofabrication and its successful incorporation into the complex, large-scale, high-value industries. The platform will also bring together governmental and academic laboratories with large industries and SMEs, and thereby offering a coordination space for past, current, and future collaborative nanofabrication projects.

Particular needs addressed and prospective impact in the NanoFabNet project include linking nanofabrication and sustainability resources and making these more accessible to a wider community. This will eventually include skills training and consultancies services. Within the project, partners will create guidelines for standardisation and harmonisation in the nanofabrication fields and will create a roadmap for sustainable nanofabrication. The project team is supported by an Executive Advisory Board (EAB) consisting of members from Israel, Japan, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Portugal and the USA.
 

Role of the NanoFabNet team at the Institute for Automation and Applied Computer Science (IAI) of the KIT:

• leadership of work package 1 “Landscape Mapping of Nanofabrication & Technology Sustainability”
  • identify, map and connect to (i) existing actors and (ii) available infrastructures in the areas of nanofabrication and technology sustainability across and beyond Europe
  • create the initial NanoFabNet Database of disciplines, actors and infrastructures
• contribute expert knowledge in nanosafety assessment, LCA and safe-by-design for nanomaterials for 3D Printing
• Link KIT projects, networks and activities (e.g. KNMF) to the NanoFabNet Hub