NanoCommons · Project

One-Stop Safety Data Platform to Get Nanomaterials Approved Faster

manufacturingTestedTRL 6

Imagine you make products with tiny engineered particles — sunscreens, coatings, batteries — but every country's regulator asks for different safety data, and nobody's data talks to anyone else's. NanoCommons built a single online platform that pulls together all the scattered safety studies, prediction models, and testing methods for nanomaterials into one place. Think of it like a shared library with a smart search engine: instead of running expensive new tests, you can check what's already known, predict risks with computer models, and assemble a regulatory dossier in a fraction of the time. Sixteen organizations across 11 countries spent four years building and filling this knowledge base.

By the numbers

consortium partners building the platform

countries contributing safety data and expertise

project deliverables produced

industry partners including SMEs in the consortium

EUR 5,400,000

EU investment in the platform infrastructure

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies that manufacture or use nanomaterials face a painful bottleneck: safety data is scattered across dozens of databases, testing is expensive and duplicative, and regulatory requirements differ by jurisdiction. Getting a single nano-enabled product approved can take years of gathering evidence that may already exist somewhere. Without a centralized way to access, compare, and predict nanomaterial safety, companies burn through R&D budgets on redundant testing.

The solution

What was built

A web-based knowledge platform with predictive safety models (nanoQSAR), corona simulation tools, MIE prediction tools, big data omics analysis, AOP-based nanomaterial grouping, a decision support system for safe-by-design product development, a regulatory decision support system, and a full data warehouse with APIs and ontology — totaling 52 deliverables.

Audience

Who needs this

Nanomaterial manufacturers needing faster REACH registrationCosmetics and personal care companies using nano-ingredientsChemical companies developing nano-enabled coatings or additivesRegulatory consultancies preparing nanomaterial safety dossiersPharmaceutical companies working with nano-delivery systems

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Chemicals & Advanced Materials

SME

Target: Nanomaterial manufacturer or supplier

If you are a nanomaterial producer dealing with fragmented safety data and slow REACH registration for your products — this project developed a knowledge platform with predictive nanoQSAR safety models and standardized data workflows that can help you compile regulatory dossiers faster. The platform integrates tools from 16 partners across 11 countries, consolidating what would otherwise require separate safety studies for each product variant.

Cosmetics & Personal Care

mid-size

Target: Cosmetics company using nanoparticles in formulations

If you are a cosmetics company struggling with nano-ingredient safety assessments for products like sunscreens or anti-aging creams — this project built a decision support system for safe-by-design product development. It includes corona simulation tools that predict how nanoparticles interact with biological systems, and grouping methods that can reduce the number of individual safety tests you need to run.

Regulatory Consulting

SME

Target: Environmental or chemical regulatory consultancy

If you are a regulatory consultancy preparing nano-specific dossiers for clients and spending weeks gathering scattered safety evidence — this project delivered a web-based decision support system for regulators, backed by a data warehouse with APIs. The platform includes 52 deliverables worth of curated datasets, predictive models, and ontology-based search across safety studies from 11 countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much would it cost to access the NanoCommons platform and tools?

The project operated as a publicly funded research infrastructure (EUR 5,400,000 EU contribution) and offered transnational access to its tools and data. Based on available project data, specific commercial licensing terms are not detailed in the deliverables. Contact the coordinator at the University of Birmingham for current access options.

Can these tools handle industrial-scale product portfolios with hundreds of nanomaterial variants?

The platform was designed as a community-wide infrastructure integrating big data analysis and mining tools, including omics datasets. The final version includes APIs for programmatic access and a data warehouse, suggesting it can handle large-scale queries. However, throughput benchmarks for industrial volumes are not specified in the project data.

Who owns the IP for the prediction models and decision support tools?

The consortium includes 16 partners — 5 industry and 5 SME participants — across 11 countries. IP from EU-funded RIA projects is typically owned by the partner who generated it. Specific licensing terms for the nanoQSAR models, corona simulation tools, and decision support systems should be discussed directly with the University of Birmingham as coordinator.

Does the platform help with REACH registration for nanomaterials?

Yes. The project specifically developed exemplar regulatory dossiers as demonstration case studies, and built an integrated web-based decision support system for regulators. The safe-by-design strategy tools and AOP-based grouping methods are designed to support regulatory submissions under frameworks like REACH.

How current is the data in the knowledge base?

The project ran from 2018 to mid-2022 and produced 52 deliverables. The platform's design included rolling updates co-developed with the community beyond the first 18 months. Based on available project data, the status of ongoing data curation after the project's end should be confirmed with the coordinator.

Can the platform integrate with our existing laboratory information management system?

The final deliverable includes supporting APIs, ontology, and a data warehouse, indicating the infrastructure was built for interoperability. The project also developed standardized data generation workflows to harmonize data across disparate communities. Specific LIMS integration capabilities should be confirmed with the technical team.

Consortium

Who built it

The NanoCommons consortium is well-balanced for bridging science and industry: 16 partners from 11 countries, with 5 industry participants (31% industry ratio) and 5 SMEs among them. The coordinator, University of Birmingham (UK), leads a mix of 6 universities and 5 research organizations providing scientific depth, while the industry partners ensure practical relevance. The geographic spread across Austria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Netherlands, Slovenia, UK, and the US gives the platform broad regulatory coverage. For a business considering adoption, the presence of SME partners suggests the tools were developed with smaller companies' needs in mind, not just large corporates.

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAMCoordinator · UK
ETHNICON METSOVION POLYTECHNIONparticipant · EL
EDELWEISS CONNECT GMBHparticipant · CH
UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHTparticipant · NL
PARIS-LODRON-UNIVERSITAT SALZBURGparticipant · AT
DUKE UNIVERSITYparticipant · US
UNITED KINGDOM RESEARCH AND INNOVATIONparticipant · UK
BIONANONET FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBHparticipant · AT
UK CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGYparticipant · UK
BIOMAX INFORMATICS AGparticipant · DE
ACONDICIONAMIENTO TARRASENSE ASSOCIACIONparticipant · ES
BUNDESINSTITUT FUER RISIKOBEWERTUNGparticipant · DE
NOVAMECHANICS LIMITEDparticipant · CY
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLINparticipant · IE

How to reach the team

University of Birmingham (UK) — use SciTransfer's matchmaking service for a warm introduction to the project coordinator and technical leads

Order a report on this consortium See THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to know if NanoCommons tools can cut your nanomaterial compliance costs? SciTransfer can arrange a briefing with the project team and help you evaluate the platform for your specific product portfolio.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0