Small size - large impact - Nanowerk

Annabelle Hett is a risk
expert in charge of Swiss Re’s
risk perception system “SONAR”
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Conclusion
Annabelle Hett
To reduce uncertainties and ensure a sustainable introduction of the technology, efforts
clearly must be made to establish a common discussion platform facilitating an open
dialogue on risk analysis, risk management and options for acceptable risk transfer.
Our two-day nanotechnology conference at Swiss Re’s Centre for Global Dialogue in
Rüschlikon offered an overview of the topic and addressed a broad scope of potential
risks and inherent opportunities. One concrete result of the meeting was that for as
many stakeholders represented – participants from science, business, the insurance
sector, and regulatory bodies – there were fundamentally different perceptions of
nanotechnology as a potential risk. Clearly, it is up to these very stakeholders to decide
how to minimise those gaps in perception. Doing so will not be without its challenges,
however: the risk perception environment is increasingly complex and demanding, and
our information age gives ample room and channels to many voices.
As the nanotechnology conference organiser, I also took the following key messages from
our early December meeting; as concerns nanotechnology: specifying standards and
nomenclature is a foremost priority; stakeholder groups must define and communicate their
concrete requirements more effectively; more risk research is urgently needed so as to lay
a sound, objective basis for discussion, and stakeholders need to find a common ground
to benefit from that exchange; the experts were concerned as much with the concept of
“phantom” risk – where no scientifically demonstrable cause-effect relationship can be
established as yet – as they were with potential “real” risk, and for that reason, they weighed
the importance of risk communication heavily; the public’s fear should be taken seriously,
and the public must be included in the dialogue to a greater extent to build trust.
In conclusion, I wish to thank all the speakers for their valuable contributions. I look
forward to an ongoing dialogue on this topic, which will have a tremendous impact
on society and our future risk landscape. In the meantime, if this first conference
9on nanotechnology organised by Swiss Re helped in some way to effectively foster
exchange among the stakeholders, we can all join in counting it a success.
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