Dutch earmark nano funds
The Dutch government recently published a progress report on its Action Plan for Nanotechnology (published in July 2008) in preparation for a general discussion in the Second Chamber of the Parliament organized by the Economic Affairs Committee on 21 April 2010.
The Action Plan consisted of four action lines including main challenges:
1) Opportunities and research agenda. Achieved challenges: defining strategic research agenda (SRA) by the Netherlands Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) (30 September 2008) and business plan (for FES call for proposals 2009). The total investment in the SRA of the NNI is €207 million in the period 2011-2014. This is half the requested budget in the SRA in this period (€100 million per year for 10 years). The budget for Risk Assessment and Technology Assessment is €42.5 million for four years, or 20.5%.
The government has decided to invest €125 million in the research proposal High Tech Systems and Materials, with additional funding of €125 million (50% from public research organizations and 50% from industry). The total budget of €250 million includes €160 million for nanotechnology (2011-2014). About €24 million of the budget for nanotechnology is dedicated to risk research and technology assessment. The more fundamental research in the SRA will be funded by the research councils NWO ALW, NWO CW and ZonMw. A call for proposals for €10 million will be published in spring of 2010 for four themes including effect analysis (a.o. toxicology). The government also invests €27.7 million in research infrastructure in NanoLab.NL, which is complemented by €9.2 million from the institutes. About €18.5 million of this budget is for equipment for risks assessment. Furthermore, Dutch companies and research institutes will be stimulated to participate in the EU FP7. In 2007, €35.8 million of the EU FP7 budget for nanotechnology was given to Dutch organizations, in 2008, €19.4 million and in 2009 €17.9 million;
2) Handling risks, consisting of short term and long term actions. Short term actions include anchoring nanotechnology in EU regulations (REACH), establishing a demand-driven research strategy in the OECD, and agreeing with (national) stakeholders on sharing knowledge. Such national initiatives have started for occupational health and safety and for consumer products. Long term actions include developing risk assessment methodologies, definitions, standards and measurement equipment in international frameworks. The government will report to the Parliament on progress on risks of nanoparticles before summer 2010.
3) Ethical aspects, societal dialogue and communication. Ethical and Societal Aspects of Nanotechnology have been mapped. It turns out that most issues are related to converging technologies at the nanometer scale (nano, bio, information technologies and cognitive sciences). A Committee for the Societal Dialogue on Nanotechnology has been installed, which will submit an interim report to the government in May 2010 and its final report by end of 2010. Government communication on nanotechnology intensified, through websites and the sounding board on risks of nanoparticles of KIR-Nano.
4) Legal aspects. Undesired effects of nanotechnology and implications for regulation are being monitored as part of the action lines on handling risks and ethical and societal aspects.
The total investment in nanotechnology in the Netherlands in 2008 was €153 million from the departments of Economic Affairs and Education, Culture and Sciences plus €337 million private investments. The government will issue a second progress report of the Action Plan in 2011.
