Abstract
In 2005, DuPont, an American chemical company and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), an environmental advocacy group, engaged in a partnership aiming at ensuring responsible development of a new high-tech domain, nanoscale materials. The project was also aimed at communicating with the global public to improve the general understanding of these new technologies. Because such a project required a broad range of expertise, the partnership brought together both organizations, as well as many other stakeholders such as government agencies, companies, interest groups and universities. In 2007, DuPont and EDF released a 'Nano Risk Framework' on responsible nanoscale materials that was then put to the test and subsequently presented to the wide political and industrial audiences. The framework proved very important because it helped to identify and reduce environmental, health and safety risks posed by this new, developing technology. Why did DuPont and EDF, so different organizations, partner? Basically, both organizations needed the other's expertise and resources. The partnership proved to be highly effective and enabled not only a responsible development of nanoscale materials but also the distribution of an efficient framework.
