The Working Group participants
Information on about Chair, Founding Partners, and Secretariat
The Earl of Selborne KBE FRS
Lord Selborne is a hereditary (elected) Conservative member of The House of Lords. He currently serves on the Select Committee for Science and Technology, of which he is a previous chair. He has also chaired Sub-Committee D (Agriculture and Environment) of the European Union Select Committee. He is Chair of the Foundation for Science and Technology, Chair of the Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Chair of the Royal Society’s Science in Society Consultative Group.
He has previously chair of the UK Chemical Stakeholders’ Forum and served as Chancellor of the University of Southampton, President of the Royal Geographical Society and Chairman of the Agricultural and Food Research Council. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, The Institute of Biology and the Linnean Society.
The Royal Society
The Royal Society is national academy of science for the UK and the Commonwealth. It is the world's oldest scientific academy in continuous existence, and has been at the forefront of enquiry and discovery since its foundation in 1660. As well as providing an authoritative voice and leadership for UK science, it provides objective advice for policymakers on science and its relationship with society. It aims to ensure that policies on key issues are influenced by the best independent science.
The Royal Society is committed to encouraging the responsible development of new and emerging technologies for the maximum benefit of humanity and the environment. It is well placed to provide an expert, independent and realistic assessment of the risks and benefits that new and emerging technologies could present. The Society has undertaken projects on a wide range of scientific areas. For more information visit www.royalsoc.ac.uk/policy.
In 2003, the UK Government commissioned the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering to carry out an independent study on nanotechnologies. The two organisations set up a group to consider current and future developments in the field, and to identify the potential pros and cons of nanotechnologies for society.
The group consisted of scientists and engineers, and experts on consumer affairs, the environment, social sciences and ethics. They consulted with a wide range of people, including members of the public, and the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering published their joint report in July 2004. The report recognises that nanotechnologies have the potential to bring benefits to society, and recommends a series of steps to realise this potential, whilst minimising possible future uncertainties and risks. More information can be found at www.nantec.org.uk .
Insight Investment
Insight Investment is the asset manager of the HBOS group and is one of the UK's largest investment managers It manages £96.1 billion as at March 2007
Insight adopted a responsible investment policy in 2002. That policy committed Insight to take into account in all of its investment decisions the potential financial impacts of companies’ exposure to, and quality of their management of, a wide range of environmental, social and governance issues. Further, it committed Insight to use its influence as a shareholder to encourage companies to achieve high standards of corporate governance and corporate responsibility.
Insight has been tracking the development and issues associated with nanotechnology since 2004 and began its engagement with companies on the issue in 2006. As an investment manager, it is important that prior to making an investment in any company involved in nanotechnology Insight thoroughly assesses a company’s understanding of the risks associated with nano-applications and determines how effectively it is managing those risks. Insight also aims to contribute to the development of nanotechnology by working with a wide range of stakeholders to identify and develop effective approaches to managing those risks. The principal way it is doing so is by collaborating in this initiative to develop a code for the responsible development of nanotechnology. For more information, please visit www.insightinvestment.com.
The Nanotechnology Industries Association
Formed in 2005, by a group of companies from a variety of industry sectors including healthcare, chemicals, automotive and consumer products, the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) creates a clear single voice to represent the diverse industries’ views in the multi-stakeholder debate on nanotechnology, by providing an interface with government, acting as a source for consultation on regulation and standards, communicating the benefits of nanotechnologies and interacting with the media to ensure an ongoing advancement and commercialisation of nanotechnologies.
The NIA promotes the responsible use of nanotechnology and raises awareness of its many applications among key audiences. Many representative organisations have been established around the world to support the research, invention, development, and exploitation of nanotechnologies, but few of these organisations are grounded in industry, or currently represent industrial views on practical applications for nanotechnologies.
The unique feature of the NIA is that it represents a purely industry-led perspective derived from the views of the collective membership, which is made up of many varied companies all at different stages of life cycle and with a variety of interests in the huge range of technologies that derive their benefit from the nanoscale. This enables those seeking comment from industry to have one port of call and avoids the need to approach individual companies for statements on specific issues. The breadth of the membership enables the NIA to put forward strong proposals to government and regulatory authorities to promote an environment that supports the application and utilisation of nanotechnologies. More information can be found at www.nanotechia.co.uk.
The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network
The Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (Nano KTN) is one of twenty-three KTNs established by the DTI and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) that cover a range of technologies and market sectors. The aims of the KTNs are to deliver improved industrial performance through innovation and new collaborations, to drive knowledge transfer between the supply and demand sides of technology-enabled markets, to facilitate innovation and knowledge transfer, and to provide a forum for a coherent business voice to inform government of its technology needs and about issues, such as regulation, which are enhancing or inhibiting innovation in the UK.
The UK, as one of the worlds leading science and technology countries, is at the forefront of developments in nanotechnology and the UK Government has invested significant funds to support the development of a UK industrial capability. The Nanotechnology KTN has been established to build upon the successes of the MNT Network and to provide the UK with a strong network to support the exploitation and commercialisation of principally nanotechnologies, but also microtechnologies as these are often intimately linked together in applications, through informing, linking and facilitating innovation and collaborations between suppliers and users with the aim of strengthening the supply chains and building a powerful UK community.
More information can be found at www.mntforum.com
Responsible Futures
Responsible Futures is an organisation which specialises in work at the leading edge of the responsibility agenda – both in the corporate and public policy arenas. Its focus is on developing new approaches, innovative solutions or bringing a fresh eye to existing problems.
Responsible Futures was appointed the Secretariat to the Responsible Nanotech Code Initiative. Director Hilary Sutcliffe had been an early initiator of the process and had drafted the supporting paper and workshop report for the three Founding Partners. She has over 12 years experience in corporate responsibility including participating in a number of code development initiatives and working with businesses and NGOs to understand and implement responsible business practice.
More information can be found at www.responsiblefutures.com.