Content Library

NIA at Future of Advanced Materials in Europe Workshop

NIA Brings Industry Perspective to SSbD25 Discussions in Zurich

ECHA launches study on nanomaterials in flame‑retardant applications

US EPA continues to integrate nanomaterials under TSCA

OECD Progress on Manufactured Nanomaterials and Advanced Materials

OECD publishes new guidance on regulatory research data

NIA Regulatory Committee – Upcoming 8th Meeting  

Upcoming 8th NIA Regulatory Committee MeetingCorporate members can propose issues or topics for the Committee

Commission releases revised nanomaterial definition

The EU has published its updated nanomaterial definition, replacing the original 2011 text after a multi-year review process involving three JRC studies and a formal stakeholder consultation.Key changes address longstanding ambiguities around particle size boundaries, the particle number concentration threshold, and the treatment of materials like graphene and carbon nanotubes.A guidance document to support implementation is due before year end, and NIA members can access a dedicated factsheet breaking down what has changed and what it means in practice.

NIA and NBCI Sign Landmark Memorandum of Understanding

The NIA has formalised a transatlantic partnership with Japan's NBCI, creating a structured channel for knowledge sharing, joint events, and business matchmaking between European and Japanese nanotechnology communities.

The assessment of the environmental behaviour of the registered zinc oxide nanoforms concluded by Germany

German regulators have concluded that zinc oxide nanoforms carry the same aquatic toxicity classification as other zinc compounds, but stopped short of ruling out particle-specific effects that could add to their overall hazard profile.The finding that toxicity varied between individual nanoforms points to the complexity of treating nanoforms as a single regulatory category, a question with broad implications for how nanomaterials are classified across the EU.

nanoPASS Hosts Webinar on Advanced Methodologies for Regulatory Testing of Nanomaterials

A landmark milestone was reached with the first ever nanomaterial-relevant Adverse Outcome Pathway receiving endorsement, signalling growing regulatory acceptance of animal-free safety assessment tools.The webinar made the case that AOPs can bridge the gap between molecular-level chemical interactions and real-world health outcomes, giving regulators a credible framework for accepting New Approach Methodologies.

NIA Welcomes Infinite: Advancing Health Safety in Nanotechnology

New NIA member Infinite d.o.o. is cutting long-term health safety assessments from months to under a week, using automated in vitro to in silico technology that could transform how advanced materials are screened before they reach market.

Newly Launched NIA Regulatory Committee

The NIA's new Regulatory Committee hit the ground running at its first meeting, immediately turning to live issues including the UK REACH consultation, sustainability standards, and the contested terminology used in nanotechnology regulation.Open to all Corporate and Associate Members and meeting quarterly, the Committee gives NIA members a direct channel to shape how the association engages with policymakers worldwide.

NIA Welcomes EU's Revised SSbD Framework While Advocating for Enhanced Practicality

The NIA is backing the EU's updated Safe and Sustainable by Design framework but is pushing back on elements that risk making it unworkable for smaller companies and early-stage innovations.A new tiered entry system earns NIA's approval, though the association is calling for clearer templates and sector-specific guidance to prevent the process from becoming a compliance maze.SMEs face a particular data and expertise gap in meeting socio-economic assessment requirements, and NIA is pressing the Commission for simplified approaches and shared databases before the revised framework lands later this year.

NIA at IndTech 2024

The NIA recently attended the IndTech 2024 Conference. Organised under the Belgian Presidency of the European Commission, IndTech brought together industry, researchers and policymakers to look at the current technological challenges that faced Europe.

Nanoplastics Use of Suitable Terminology For Representation In Waste, Degradation of Plastics and Presence in the Environment

The NIA is urging regulators, the media, and public agencies to stop using the term "nanoplastics" in isolation, warning that the label wrongly conflates intentionally manufactured nanomaterials with plastic particles created by environmental degradation.Science currently cannot distinguish a manufactured nanoplastic particle from one formed by fragmentation of larger plastics in the environment, making the terminology not just imprecise but potentially damaging to the wider nanomaterials sector.The NIA's fix is straightforward: always qualify the term with "incidental" or "manufactured" depending on context, a small change that could prevent significant regulatory and reputational harm to an industry that produces very few intentional nanoplastics.

NIA Joins The Particles Platform

The NIA has joined The Particles Platform, an alliance spanning CEFIC, Cosmetics Europe, Eurometaux, and national chemical associations across Europe, strengthening its reach into regulatory discussions well beyond the nanomaterials sector.

Nanotechnology Industries Association Welcomes New Board of Directors

The NIA has elected a new Board of Directors, bringing together leaders from across the nanotechnology spectrum to guide the association's strategy and advocacy for the coming two years.Landon Mertz of Cerion Nanomaterials continues as Chair, joined by new board members spanning cellulose nanocrystals, regulatory toxicology, product stewardship, and nanomaterial commercialisation.

NIA Member Cerion Nanomaterials Embarks on a Major Expansion of Its Ceramic Nanomaterial R&D Operation to Spearhead Innovation in Technical Ceramics

NIA member Cerion Nanomaterials is scaling up — and the nanomaterials industry is taking notice. The Rochester-based company, a leader in custom nanomaterial manufacturing since 2007, has announced a major expansion of its ceramic R&D operations to meet rising demand from aerospace, automotive, electronics, energy, and defense sectors

NIA Represents Nanotechnology at the Technology Council for Advanced Materials

The NIA secured a seat at the table as the EU's newly formed Technology Council for Advanced Materials held its inaugural meeting in Brussels, with a mandate to steer Europe's materials strategy at national, regional and Commission level.NIA used the first meeting to put nanomaterials firmly on the Council's agenda, ensuring the sector's achievements are recognised within the broader advanced materials strategy taking shape under DG GROW and DG RTD.

Press Release – Bridging the Governance Gap: Divergent EU Approaches to Nano and Advanced Materials

The NIA is calling out a damaging split at the heart of the European Commission, where the drive for industrial leadership in advanced materials is being undermined by contradictory regulatory signals from within the Commission itself.Industry is being asked to meet extensive testing obligations for nanoforms before they can reach the market, even at low scale, with no clear guidance on how to apply those requirements proportionately.The NIA's position paper proposes regulatory sandboxes and cross-sector dialogues as practical tools to restore industry confidence without weakening Europe's health and environmental protections.

NIA DG Sean Kelly Co-Authors Essential Guide to Making Research Regulatory Relevant

A new open access article co-authored by NIA's Director General tackles why so few scientifically sound test methods ever make it into regulation, and what researchers can do to change that.The piece offers practical steps for scientists to navigate the OECD standardisation process, arguing that early stakeholder engagement and validation planning are the difference between research that influences regulation and research that doesn't.

NIA Co-signs Industry Letter Calling for Improved EFSA Performance

The NIA has joined a cross-industry push urging the EU to overhaul its food safety risk assessment process, arguing the current system is too slow and too hostile to innovation to keep Europe's agri-food sector competitive.

Yordas Group Wins King's Award for Enterprise in International Trade

NIA member Yordas Group has received the UK's highest business honour, the King's Award for Enterprise, in recognition of its international work helping companies achieve safe and sustainable product compliance.