The Final Conference of the PRIORITY COST Action gathered more than 150 participants at the Technical University of Leoben – Montanuniversität for a four-day program dedicated to the scientific, technical, and societal challenges posed by micro- and nanoplastics in the environment.
From 2-5 September, the event brought together experts, researchers, policymakers, industry, and civil society to conclude PRIORITY’s collaborative achievements. Participants contributed through thematic sessions, oral and poster presentations, networking activities, and dedicated opportunities for early-career researchers. The conference offered a great opportunity to strengthen Europe-wide and international cooperation on plastics pollution.
One of the key moments of the conference was Session 4: Networking with External Projects, chaired by Stefania Federici and Aleksandra Tubic.
This session provided a platform for external projects addressing micro- and nanoplastics or related environmental challenges to showcase their objectives, methodologies, and achievements. By facilitating interactions across different initiatives, the session aimed to enhance collaboration, foster synergies, and amplify the collective impact of ongoing research across Europe and beyond. Representatives were encouraged to share their dissemination strategies, expand their professional networks, and explore new avenues for joint work in the growing field of micro- and nanoplastics research.
Our project coordinator, Milica Velimirovic (VITO) represented the project at the conference. She contributed to the scientific program wiht the general poster presentation of the project, highlighting its objectives and progress related to Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) methodologies for chemicals and materials. Her participation helped raise awareness of the project’s approach, foster potential collaborations, and strengthen connections between the SSbD4CHeM project and the broader PRIORITY community.
One highlight of the event was the opportunity of meeting one of the members of our External Advisory Board, Melanie MacGregor, from the Flinders Universty!
