Establishment of a Safety Assessment Framework for Nanomaterials
Foundation for International Regulatory Compliance
Miryang City in Gyeongnam held a groundbreaking ceremony for the ‘Nano Material and Product Safety Evaluation Support Center’ at the Nano Convergence Research Complex site within the Miryang Nano Convergence National Industrial Complex.
The groundbreaking ceremony held on the 26th was attended by about 100 people, including Mayor An Byeong-gu, National Assembly member Park Sang-ung, Kim Jong-joo, Director of the Textile Carbon Nano Division at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ryu Myung-hyun, Director of the Industry Bureau of Gyeongsangnam-do, Cheon Young-gil, President of the Korea Conformity Laboratories (KCL), as well as representatives from nano-related research institutions, companies, and heads of organizations and groups.
Miryang City Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony for 'Nano Materials and Products Safety Evaluation Support Center'. Photo by Miryang City
The ‘Nano Material and Product Safety Evaluation Support Center’ is a project to evaluate the safety of nanomaterials and establish an evaluation system to respond to international regulations. It was selected as a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy public project in April last year and is being promoted with a total project cost of 34 billion KRW, including 14.5 billion KRW in national funding.
The project covers a site area of 20,000㎡ with a total floor area of 4,136㎡ (2 floors above ground), including 62 types of equipment for evaluating human toxicity and ecotoxicity, physical and chemical properties, and animal breeding facilities (biosafety level 2). The project period is until 2027.
Hyun Yoon-hee, Director of the Nano Convergence Division, stated, “Once this project is on track, it will establish a safety foundation for nanomaterials, enabling domestic nano companies to respond to regulations and secure competitiveness. It is expected to facilitate proactive entry into the global market and foster future industries through the safe use of nanotechnology.”
The city plans to provide companies with one-stop services for domestic and international regulatory responses by establishing infrastructure and being designated as a GLP (Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Rural Development Administration) and KOLAS nationally accredited testing institution. It will also support regulatory response education, consulting, and integrated information construction.
This project is led by the Korea Conformity Laboratories (KCL), with participation from the Gyeongnam Technopark Foundation and the Nano Convergence Industry Research Association. It aims to build an evaluation foundation for the physical and chemical properties and human safety of nanomaterials to help companies respond to international-level regulations. Completion is scheduled for September next year, and the center is planned to open in November next year.
National Assembly member Park Sang-ung said, “I sincerely congratulate the groundbreaking of the ‘Nano Material and Product Safety Evaluation Support Center.’ The National Assembly’s Industry, Trade, and Small and Medium Enterprises Committee will strive to secure national and provincial funding and successfully promote the Nano National Industrial Complex.”
Mayor An Byeong-gu said, “Through the Nano Material and Product Safety Evaluation Support Center, related companies will receive reliable evaluation and support, which will be an opportunity to further strengthen the competitiveness of the domestic nanomaterial industry. The center established in Miryang will be an important hub for responding to international regulations such as global standardization of nanomaterials and products. We expect it to lead to attracting companies to the Miryang Nano Convergence National Industrial Complex.”
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