The International Nano-Authorities dialogue
The international Nano-Authorities dialogue was initiated in 2008 by the Innovation Society, St. Gallen, and has been continually developed since then. It is a transnational platform of the German speaking environment, health and safety authorities for the safe and sustainable use of nanotechnology. Once a year, relevant authorities from Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg meet with different stakeholders (NGOs, organisations, companies) for an informal exchange of knowledge and experience. The meetings are regularly held by another host country. The previous meetings were held in Bern, Berlin, Munich, Vaduz, Vienna, and Zurich. An overview of the topics and places of the past dialogues, and a picture gallery can be found here (see below).
The aim of the Nano-Agency Dialogue is a transnational dialogue and the exchange of experience on current topics concerning the governance of nanotechnology. In addition to current questions on regulation, regulatory research results and initiatives at national and international level are being presented and discussed. In recent years, the Nano-Authorities dialogue has developed into a central dialogue platform, which has given numerous impulses for the safe and sustainable use of nanotechnology. Since its foundation (2008), the Nano-Authorities dialogue has been organized, moderated and supported by the Innovation Society, St. Gallen.