BioNanoNet Forschungsgesellschaft mbH (BNN, https://www.bnn.at/ ) is an Austrian non-profit research organisation specialised in international R&D&I collaboration that supports and guides its members and customers towards a sustainable development of connected technologies. The core of BNN activities and expertise are based on: (a) Building Alliances and Initiatives, (b) Technical Support based on Safe-by-Design and Sustainability aspects from science to development/processing of smart materials, processes and products (e.g., on safety and sustainability aspects along the value chain, nano-related safety-assessment, Safe-by-Design and Sustainability-by-Design implementation, etc.), (c) Innovation support and management and (d) Complementary Business support (e.g. high-quality project management in multidisciplinary projects on international level, dissemination and communication support, proven experience in organizing workshops and scientific training, etc.).
BNN is European key player in the field of nano-safety, specialized in developing Safe-by-Design strategies together with researchers and industry, and coordinates international safety, sustainability and innovation activities (e.g., EU NanoSafety Cluster, Industrial Innovation Liaison i2L, SusChem-AT, Closer-To-TheMarket, etc.). On national level, BNN coordinates the Austrian NanoMedicine, NanoToxicology and NanoSafety-research-community, SusChem-AT as well as the Austrian Microfluidics Initiative, and therefore has access to key technologies for nano-safety assessment and further enabling technologies along the value chain. Through the close collaboration with industry, BNN has gained expertise in translating scientific knowledge into real-life industrial innovation processes. Additionally, BNN provides communication and dissemination activities (its newsletter reaches approximately 11.500 readers worldwide) and has experience in organizing workshops and scientific training.
BNN has been and is partner of the Management Teams of former and current H2020 projects NextGenMicrofluidics (862092), R2R Biofluidics (646260) and FP7 project SPIDIMAN (305343). Within the industry-focused H2020 pilot line projects Hi-Response (646296), R2R Biofluidics (646260), INSPIRED (646155), Hi-Accuracy (862410), as well as in the nanomedicine H2020-project Smart 4 Fabry (720942), BNN is responsible for nano-related safety assessments and the development of project-tailored Safe-by-Design strategies. In the H2020 projects PRIME (FET-open; 829010), BIORIMA (760928) and NanoCommons (731032), BNN is a key partner within the dissemination team. BNN contributes to the further development of safety and sustainability concepts in NanoUptake (862195), and SABYDOMA (862296). Support to establish European as well as global nanofabrication ecosystem is BNN’s role in H2020-project NanoFabNet (CSA; 886171).
Role of BNN in the project: As task leader for ‘safety’ BNN will contribute to the WP ‘co-development, safety and experimental deployment’. In addition, safety evaluation will be performed in collaboration with the relevant practitioner groups throughout the development cycle (e.g. safety evaluation of bioinks, etc.). With its profound experience, BNN will also contribute in coordination & management, as well as in dissemination, exploitation & communication activities.
