Nanotechnology is already in use and has the potential to become as commonly used as plastic. It is relatively new and its risk assessment has barely begun. Due to the potential impact to the insurance industry if something were to go wrong, nanotechnology features very highly in Lloyd’s top emerging risks. We will therefore continue to monitor research into the risks of nanotechnology, in particular where they relate to environmental and health effects.

These areas will have the most impact in terms of liability insurance, if the most extreme events such as mass nano-pollution were to be realised.