NanOpinion

Launched on May 1 2012, NanOpinion is a 2million EUR project that brings the British Council together with 16 other partners from 11 countries. Over the next 12 months a variety of different approaches will be used to monitor opinions of the public, facilitate debate, engage and inform, educate and provide policy recommendations on future engagement with nanotechnology. Contoversial issues will be discussed in a balanced manner through a variety of channels, to give the public fair and open information.
 

The British Council is leading alongside ECSITE, the European network of science centres and museums, on one of NanOpinion’s main objectives; engaging the European public with nanotechnology. This will occur through a variety of different methods, including online surveys, social media, and public events in science centres. 

 

At the heart of the engagement and dialogue will be three Monitoring Stations. These are eye-catching, interactive displays, inspired by nanotechnology in their design, and designed to engage people with nanotechnology. They have tablet PCs in their structure that will quiz people on their understanding and views of nanotechnology, and will store this information for continent-wide evaluation. The Monitoring Stations will travel throughout Europe over the coming 12 months, and will be found at public events, science centres and supermarkets. 
 

Street labs will also be taking place all over Europe in coordination with the Monitoring Stations, and will involve a variety of activities to spark debate and open two-way dialogue. In these, the public will be able to learn about real products that use nanotechnology, and will be able to get involved with role-playing games and discussions about the technology.  A full list of upcoming events will be added here soon.

 

Reaching a wide audience is an essential goal of NanOpinion, and media will be crucial component of this. The consortium media partners The Guardian (UK), Ticonuno (Italy), El Mundo (Spain) and Courrier International (France) will be publishing exciting material via different news mediums, and the project website will host new texts, animations, videos and audio recordings related to the nanotechnology debate. 

 

 

The partners will also work with schools and teachers and will offer educational materials via the website (link navigates from current page). 

 

NanOpinion is funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union, and is led by Zentrum für soziale Innovation (ZSI, Austria).

Full list of partners:
Zentrum für soziale Innovation
ORT ISRAEL
EUN Partnership AISBL
ASSOCIATION EUROPEENNE DES EXPOSITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES,
TECHNIQUES ET INDUSTRIELLES
AARHUS UNIVERSITET
FUNDACIO PRIVADA PARC CIENTIFIC DE BARCELONA
FILOSOFICKY USTAV AV CR, v.v.i.
BUNDESINSTITUT FUER RISIKOBEWERTUNG
LIETUVOS MOKINIU INFORMAVIMO IR TECHNINES KURYBOS CENTRAS
Guardian News and Media Ltd
Unidad Editorial Informacion General, S.L.
COURRIER INTERNATIONAL SA
TICONUNO SRL
IL SOLE 24 ORE SPA
BRIGHTMAN ALMAGOR ZOHAR & CO
JONATHAN WILLIAM TURNEY