A number of concepts address safety-relevant issues of innovative materials and products. The Safe-by-Design (SbD) concept is one of these, and aims to take account of these safe- ty issues early on and during the entire prod- uct development process. The nano-speci c concepts of SbD are intended to address pre- vailing uncertainties about potential risks to the environment and human health at the be- ginning stages in the development of new na- nomaterials and products. The basic assump- tion of the SbD concept is that risks can be reduced through the choice of materials, prod- ucts, tools and technologies, making them as safe as possible. Particular attention is paid to the product development stage, when it is still possible to intervene to control the selec- tion of these factors. In line with the precau- tionary principle, the early integration of safe- ty in the innovation process is generally seen as desirable.