From 10-12 November 2025, Barry Hardy (Edelweiss Connect) and Wouter Gebbink (VITO) attended the 2nd Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) Conference – SSbD25 in Zurich, Switzerland. The event, organised by IRISS project – the International SSbD Community – and Empa, brought together researchers, industry representatives, and policymakers to exchange knowledge and advance the implementation of SSbD principles across sectors.

During the conference, Wouter Gebbink presented a poster explaining the work performed in the project exploring renewable wood plastic composites (WPCs), as sustainable alternatives to conventional polypropylene (PP) with talc used in car interior trims, to reduce Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs) emissions
compared to PP interior trims and assure no risk to human health. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17607096.

Barry Hardy gave an oral presentation which explored how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science enhance SSbD workflows. It showcased the case studies of the project, including cosmetics, PFAS-free coatings, biopolymers, bio-sourced chemicals, and graphene. The work demonstrated how AI-assisted tools support early-stage innovation by integrating existing data, models, and knowledge into risk identification, hazard profiling, and decision-making. By leveraging evidence-weighting and uncertainty scoring, the approach enables more ethical, accurate, and comprehensive assessments. The presentation highlighted methodologies, tools, and recommendations for addressing data gaps and strengthening SSbD practices. The presentation is available here.

It was a great opportunity to meet the broader SSbD community, share insights, and discuss the path forward towards sustainable innovation.

A big thank you to the organisers for an great event and for giving us the chance of attending – we’re already looking forward to next year’s edition!

The conference programm is available here.

The 4th edition of the International Conference on Microplastic Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea (µMED 2025) took place in Ischia, Italy, from 19–22 October 2025.

The conference brought together experts from diverse disciplines, including the scientific and industrial sectors, policy makers and environmental organizations, to explore all aspects of micro- and nanoplastic pollution, offering a valuable opportunity to share the latest developments, highlight recent advancements, and identify innovative materials, technologies and strategies to detect and mitigate this pressing environmental challenge.

On October 20^th, approx. 130 participants from reasearch and industry stakeholders joint Milica Velimirovic‘s (VITO) oral presentation. Under the title “Progress in analytical strategies for micro- and nanoplastics detection and characterisation“, Milica shared the work in SSbD4CheM’s textile study from microfibers release. 

µMED 2025 once again proved to be a valuable platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, driving forward the scientific understanding and mitigation of microplastic pollution in marine environments.

Final Programme available here.

Book of abstracts available here.

The 1st SENTIATECH Congress took place in Valencia (Spain) on 21–22 October 2025. The two-day event focused on “Detection, Measurement and Control of Emerging Risks”, highlighting specially emerging chemicals (such as PFAS and micro/nanoplastics), sensor technologies, and Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD).

The congress aimed to foster cross-sector collaboration, facilitate knowledge exchange, and accelerate the implementation of innovative solutions for managing risks related to the environment, human health, and materials/manufacturing.

Approximately 200 participants attended, mainly from the research and scientific community, along with industry representatives, regulatory partners, and local authorities who joined during the closing session.

SSbD4CheM participated in this particularly relevant event, as it closely aligned with the project’s objectives, addressing innovative techniques for detecting and assessing contaminants. Fruela Pérez and Pau Camilleri, from ITENE, delivered an oral presentation introducing the project. Their talk focused on how Steps 4–5 of the SSbD framework are integrated into the project’s activities. Their presentation entitled “Embedding Sustainability: How LCA Shapes the SSbD4CheM Approach” is available under DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17426621.

Outcomes of participation included:

• Increased visibility and recognition of the project
• Strengthened networking and collaboration opportunities
• Knowledge exchange and constructive feedback from peers
• Contribution to the project’s dissemination and impact goals

Some impressions of the congress:

The BioNanoNet community gathered in Linz, Austria on 7 October 2025 to discuss how advanced technologies and sustainable industrial practices are being translated into the life sciences sector.  

The BioNanoNet Annual Forum 2025 took place at the LIT Open Innovation Center in the vibrant city of Linz, where four of our members graciously co-hosted and welcomed us to their facilities. Attendees were treated to site tours at Johannes-Kepler-University (JKU) IPC Institute, Competence Center CHASE, RECENDT and Wood K plus. The partners shared fascinating insights into their R&D work, including different methods for non-destructive testing, the production of sustainable polymers, a showcase of polymer waste recycling, and possible applications of bacterial cellulose. 

The forum started with a welcome by Alberta Bonanni, vice-rector of JKU, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation and was followed by keynotes from Dr. Michael Egermeier, Wood K plus (“Bacterial Cellulose Emerging as Novel Material for Advanced Applications”), Dr. Markus Brandstetter, RECENDT (“Bio-Nano-Med & Chemical Analytics at RECENDT”), and Patrick Pammer, CHASE (“Upgrading Plastic Wastes to Industrial Feedstocks”).  

After the 4 site visits, the group reconvened in the LIT Open Innovation Center for a Life Science Session spanning a wide range of topics starting with a talk by Werner Haselmayr, JKU, on the “Internet of Bio-Nano Things: Extending Connectivity to Unconventional Domains”. Max Sonnleitner, CEO of Genspeed Biotech, shared his insights from years of experience  on how to bring an innovative idea  to a final product in diagnostics. This was complemented by a perspective from BNN’s regulatory specialist Daniel García emphasizing the need for innovation support including regulations.  

The second session was dedicated to Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) with updates from current and past projects as well as newly established methodologies.  Milica Velimirovic of VITO presented the first case study with “Applying the SSbD4CheM Toolbox in Case Studies for Sustainable Material Design”. Danail Hristozov of GreenDecision presented new methodologies from the project SUNRISE and the NSC Community with his talk “SSbD in the NSC field – Tiered SSbD approach and e-infrastructure”. Next, Martin Himly of PLUS presented PINK and PLANETS projects, showing fascinating work on how to implement SSbD in concrete industrial chemicals and materials value chains. Finally, Andreas Barth of Wood K plus shared the lessons learned and opportunities of Social LCA within the SSbD Framework and put a spotlight on this oft-underrepresented dimension of SSbD.   

The highlight of the event was the final Networking Pitch Session, moderated by BNN’s Clemens Wolf. Fifteen members had a single slide and 30 seconds to pitch their expertise and seek collaboration opportunities. It was a lively session showcasing the great diversity and potential within the BNN network, and it sparked lots of ideas and initiated new connections!  

The evening ended with a networking buffet and drinks. As always, we greatly enjoyed the time with all participants and especially getting to see the facilities of JKU, CHASE, RECENDT and specially Wood K plus

Agenda of the event. 

Some impressions of the day:

The third ECOSYSTEX Conference took place from 29 September to 1 October in Gothenburg, Sweden, bringing together experts, innovators, and industry leaders to discuss the latest technologies and business models for textile circularity.

Over two days, the 160 participants engaged in plenary and interactive breakout sessions, fostering lively discussions, networking, and collaboration opportunities across the textile sustainability community.

The event was supported by six ECOSYSTEX member projects — PESCO-UP, SOLSTICE, tExtended, BioFibreLoop, WhiteCycle, and Hemp4Circularity — which showcased their project results and hosted dedicated interactive sessions.

Onur Celen and Mine Türkay Kankıran (KORTEKS) attended the event on behalf of SSbD4CheM, presenting the project to fellow participants and exploring opportunities for collaboration. Their participation helped strengthen connections within the ECOSYSTEX network and provided valuable insights for future project developments.

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!