The Strategy

Nanotechnology development and implementation in Basque industry is currently carried out through the Advanced Manufacturing Strategy - Basque Industry 4.0. Nanotechnologies are one of the key enabling technologies (KET) that contribute directly to the primary goal of the Advanced Manufacturing strategy to provide greater added value to Basque industry products and processes

The incorporation of micro- and nanotechnologies into Basque companies has received sustained momentum from the Basque Government Department of Economic Development and Infrastructure through the NanoBasque Strategy (2008-2015), with the aim of improving competitiveness in the main economic activity sectors and promoting the diversification of our industrial fabric.

Implementation of this strategy has been based on 3 integrating axes: business development, knowledge generation and energising.

In this period, more than 200 Basque companies have started their micro-/nanotechnological activity. The transversality of micro-/nanotechnologies is reflected in the identification of companies which are active in 15 different production sectors in the Basque Country.

Directory

Basque micro/nanotechnological companies

Impacto en sectores

Knowledge generation is carried out by different players in the Basque Science, Technology and Innovation Network (RVCTI), namely:

10 research groups: nanomagnetism, nanooptics, self-assembly, nanobiomechanics, nanodevices, nanomaterials, theory, nanoimaging, nanoengineering and electron microscopy.

4 research and development areas: nanomaterials, nanotechnology-based products, multi-scale simulation and nanosafety.

4 research and development areas: micro-nanodevices, micro-nanoengineering, nanomaterials and nanocoatings.

The energising of all of these players has been carried out by SPRI, paying special attention to the safety, environmental and health aspects of nanomaterials.

To do this, EHS Advance has been created, a distributed skills centre, based on the RVCTI, to provide service and respond to all issues relating to the safety, health and environment of nanomaterials from industry, R&D centres and universities, seeking the synergistic effect of bringing together the capabilities of evaluation, analysis, testing and the existence of specific infrastructure in the Basque Country, with a strong interrelationship with European organisations with the same concerns, thus creating a SINGLE CONSULTATION POINT FOR nano ASPECTS: EHS

The services provided by EHS Advance are:

• Toxicology and ecotoxicology studies, analyses and tests
• Risk assessment and control in processes
• Methodology development and implementation
• Training, dissemination and awareness
• Technological surveillance

Nanotechnology development and implementation in Basque industry is currently carried out through the Advanced Manufacturing Strategy - Basque Industry 4.0.