The continued development and growing opportunities for commercialization of key enabling technologies (e.g., nanotechnology, synthetic biology, biomaterials) raise fundamental environmental health and safety (EHS) challenge for regulators in various governments. Even though existing practices for risk assessment and management (RA&M) are applicable to these technologies, their implementation requires information that is difficult to obtain given the limited availability of quantitative data to populate models corresponding to material exposure, hazard, and consequences. 

To facilitate regulatory decision making for emerging technology research and innovation and account for corresponding EHS risks, a comprehensive risk governance (RG) framework must account for both qualitative and quantitative data under high uncertainty and local/regional requirements for technology governance.

The SRA Forum will be held in Venice, Italy on 1 – 3 March 2017. More information available here.