Investigators:
Umberto Nizza

Abstract:
Nanotechnology represents one of the most profound challenges for contemporary governance, as it unfolds at the intersection of biology, informatics, and quantum physics, where traditional legal categories lose their stability. This project develops a theoretical and institutional framework for a dynamic regulation of nanotechnologies, conceived as a process capable of evolving with the scientific knowledge it governs. The aim is to design regulatory architectures that integrate probabilistic reasoning, algorithmic monitoring, and procedural adaptability, allowing legal norms to be continuously recalibrated in light of new evidence.

Within the transatlantic context, the study contrasts the European precautionary model with the American experimental one, seeking the conditions for a hybrid, adaptive approach that combines the procedural legitimacy of the former with the flexibility of the latter. Ultimately, the project argues that the law’s task is not to eliminate uncertainty but to govern it—transforming adaptability itself into a principle of regulation capable of aligning innovation with accountability.