The German federal authorities have taken a comprehensive look at the safe handling and chemical safety of novel materials throughout their entire life cycle.
The assessment of safety and sustainability over the whole life cycle is of central relevance to enable full exploitation of societal and economic benefits of advanced materials.
The German higher federal authorities responsible for human and environmental safety and metrology (Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Environment Agency (UBA), National Metrology Institute (PTB)), are accompanying the innovation of advanced materials with a long-term research strategy.
Focusing on research needs from a regulatory perspective, the current strategy includes the early identification of emerging safety issues related to advanced materials early on within the plethora of materials that are currently in development or on the market. Closing knowledge gaps on chemical safety and to provide appropriate testing and assessment strategies for advanced materials is the next step towards regulatory preparedness.
Publication:
Kathrin Schwirn, Doris Völker, Anna Pohl, Elisabeth Heunisch, Jutta Tentschert, Frank Bierkandt, Verónica I. Dumit, Zabihi Fatemeh, Mario Pink, Christian Riebeling, Andrea Haase, Harald Bresch, Bastian Rühle, Petra Schulte, Dan Hodoroaba, Anna Maria Elert, Harald Bosse (2026). https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/publikationen/strategic-research-agenda-for-safe-advanced
