Nanotechnology: A view from the insurance industry
Author: Thomas Epprecht, Swiss Re
Article published in ISO Focus, April 2007
As a rule, nanotechnology risks continue to be covered implicitly in insurance products already on the market, and insurers do not intend to put them under general suspicion by exclusion. Even so, the sustainable introduction of nanotechnology requires uniform, risk-appropriate assessment criteria that consider special properties of nanomaterials. As a consequence, Swiss Re aims to promote prudent risk selection based on comparable, science-based information.
Thus, a universally valid and internationally accepted nomenclature and a scientifically credible code of standards and regulations are a prerequisite to differentiate nanomaterials from conventional materials in terms of health, property damage and environmental impacts. Such comprehensive guidance would not only reduce uncertainty, but also create a favourable climate for risk transfer, as well as investment.
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