The Impact of External Factors on Technological Advancement: The Case of Nanosilver

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to identify the role and influence of the external factors on the development of technology based on the example of nanosilver particles. On the basis of selected EU regulations and recommendations we have indicated their consequences for the further application of the analysed technology. Design/Methodology/Approach: Based on the literature review in the field of barriers to technology transfer, the role of Responsible Research and Innovation as a systemic tool for monitoring the development of technologies, in particular potentially environmentally and biologically toxic, was indicated. Then, a review of European regulations and recommendations in the years 1998-2024 was carried out and the impact of these regulations on the development of silver nanoparticle technology was indicated. Findings: The research carried out in the article has shown that despite the wide use of nanomaterials in many industrial sectors due to their unique size- and shape-dependent properties, extensive applications of nanomaterials lead to anxieties due to their potential environmental and human health hazard. The public is exposed to nanosilver particles due to their wide utilisation in medical applications, cosmetics, food packaging, fruit treatments, and textile finishing. Hence, successive regulations and recommendations carried out at the EU level contain increasing restrictions on the industrial use of this nanotechnology and increase technological, legal and organizational barriers to its transfer. Practical implications: The restrictions indicated in the article may affect the result in significant technological challenges for manufacturers in the process of technology development and transfer: prohibition of substance selling, the necessity of product reformulation, and significant investment in research, testing and certification. Originality/Value: The research carried out in the article contributes to the existing literature in several ways. First, the study indicate the role of Responsible Research and Innovation in the process of technology development and its applications. Second - it emphasises the role of external barriers to technology transfer, especially in the form of regulatory barriers. Third, it describes the impact of subsequent regulations on nanosilver technology and their impact on the further development of this technology.