Authors:
Paul Bardos | r3 environmental technology ltd | United Kingdom
PhD Stephan Bartke | Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ | German Federal Environment Agency UBA | Germany
Nicola Harries | CL:AIRE | United Kingdom
Hans-Peter Koschitzky | University of Stuttgart, VEGAS | Germany
This abstract is for the second of two free sessions. The aim of these two free sessions is to provide delegates with sufficient information to decide if nanoremediation and new techniques in nanoremediation is a viable activity for their organisation. It is particularly targeted at practitioners such as site owners/managers service providers (consultants contractors), and regulators.
Nanotechnologies could offer a step-change in remediation capabilities: treating persistent contaminants which have limited remediation alternatives, avoiding degradation-related intermediates and increasing the speed at which degradation or stabilisation can take place (Müller and Nowack 2010), among other potential benefits. In 2007 in Europe it was forecast that the 2010 world market for environmental nanotechnologies would be around $6 billion (JRC Ispra 2007). In fact, adoption of nanoremediation has been slower, with fewer than 100 field scale applications, since the first field application in 2000. However, the recent emergence of nanoremediation as a commercially-deployed remediation technology in several EU countries, notably the Czech Republic and Germany indicates that it is timely for service providers and site owners or managers in Europe to reconsider its potential applications and the consequent implications for their business activities.
Since early 2014, the EU FP7 NanoRem project (www.nanorem.eu) has been carrying out an intensive development and optimisation programme for different nanoparticles (NPs), along with analysis and testing methods, investigations of fate and transport of the NPs and their environmental impact. NanoRem is a €14 million international collaborative project with 28 Partners from 12 EU countries, and an international Project Advisory Group (PAG) providing linkages to the USA and Asia. It is a major initiative, which will support the effective deployment of nanoremediation technologies in Europe. As part of its work it offers these two sessions to provide key information for organisations considering diversifying into nanoremediation, or already beginning that process.
The first free session focuses on providing a practical grounding in nanoremediation theory and practice with particular reference to applied examples in the field.
The second free session focuses on providing business and strategic intelligence for delegates with interests in using nanoremediation at their sites or developing nanoremediation activities at their organisations.
The second free session focuses on providing business and strategic intelligence for delegates with interests in utilizing or developing nanoremediation activities within their organisations or at client sites. It comprises two parts:
• A discussion of possible market trends and opportunities using the World CafeTM discussion format (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Caf%C3%A9), with a kick-off presentation from NanoRem’s work on understanding nanoremediation market drivers in Europe,
• A “clinic” for delegates to explore their own specific interests in nanoremediation in more detail.
1. Stephan Bartke, UFZ, Germany: Preliminary scenarios for the EU nanoremediation market in 2025 – assessment of market drivers (opportunities and challenges) affecting the take-up of nanoremediation (15 minutes). This presentation will review stakeholder meeting and focus group information collected by NanoRem over 2014/15 on possible market development scenarios. The intention is to provide an informative but not prescriptive talk. Part of the strategic and business intelligence provided will be from self-learning as the session delegates interact with each other in a structured way in small groups.
2. Nicola Harries, CL:AIRE, UK: World CafeTM set up (5 minutes)
3. Cafes (40 minutes): Discussion in groups, each with a NanoRem facilitator to provide a chance for active discussion and exchange of ideas about market prospects and drivers
4. Plenary: Report back of discussion groups 10 minutes
5. Clinic 20 minutes
• The “clinic” will be an open session with a panel of nanoremediation specialists from the NanoRem project. Each of the panel members will provide a brief outline of their back-ground, and then the session will break out into small discussion groups with delegates who would like a preliminary and (if desired) confidential discussion about nanoremediation re-lated to their own specific interests. We will provide capacity for four “appointments” during the final segment of the free session, but can also make arrangements outside the free session if there is demand for this.
Chair/Convenor: Nicola Harries, CL:AIRE, UK
Delegates will be provided with take home materials from the preliminary assessment presentation that they can use within their own organisations to support further decision-making. In addition the key outcomes from the World CafeTM discussions will be summarised by NanoRem. A short findings document will be circulated to interested attendees, and posted on the NanoRem web site (www.nanorem.eu), and links/copies will be made available to the ACS 2015 organisers if desired.
References:
JRC (2007) Report from the Workshop onNanotechnologies for Environmental Remediation. JRC Ispra 16-17 April 2007. David Rickerby and Mark Morrison.
Müller, N.C. and Nowack, B. 2010. Nano Zero Valent Iron – THE Solution for Water and Soil Remediation?, ObservatoryNANO Focus Report.
Contact: Paul Bardos, paul@r3environmental.co.uk
Note: additional panelists will be selected April 2015