SSbD4CheM External Webinar on Practical Application & Case Studies in Industrial SSbD

On 11th June 2025, the EU funded project SSbD4CheM hosted a stakeholder outreach webinar titled “Practical Application and Case Studies in Industrial Safe and Sustainable by Design”. The webinar brought together researchers and industry experts for the project to explore the practical implementation of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework, with a strong focus on real-world industrial applications. 

Around 50 participants from different stakeholder groups (universities, research institutes, SMEs, large industries, etc.) joint the webinar, which highlighted how SSbD principles are being adopted across the chemicals and materials sectors, with a particular emphasis on the cosmetics industry. Through a series of engaging presentations, participants gained insights into both the scientific foundations and the practical challenges of putting SSbD into action. 

Key highlights from the program included: 

• Milica Velimirovic (VITO), project coordinator, provided an overview of the SSbD4CheM project, showcasing how the SSbD framework is being tested through various industrial case studies to promote safer and more sustainable chemical and material innovation. 

• Assaf Assis and Ze’evi Ma’or (Ahava) offered a compelling industry perspective, discussing how SSbD is being integrated into the development and innovation of cosmetics products, and the associated opportunities and challenges. 

• Barry Hardy (Edelweiss Connect) introduced the use of AI-assisted tools for knowledge collection and curation, which are increasingly essential in supporting efficient and data-rich SSbD workflows.  

• Ondrej Panak (National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia) explored the role of physical & physico-chemical characterisation techniques in evaluating materials for SSbD and how to do it. 

• Panagiotis Kolokathis (NovaMechanics) demonstrated how physics-based materials modelling can support hazard profiling by enhancing understanding of material properties at the molecular level. 

• Yvonne Kohl (Fraunhofer IBMT) discussed the incorporation of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) into SSbD workflows to improve hazard assessment while reducing reliance on animal testing and consequently the use of these techniques. She also introduced the NAMs and innovative models that are being used in the project. 

• Nils Thonemann (Leiden University) highlighted how Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is being used to ensure that sustainability considerations are integrated throughout the product innovation process. 

• Ivana Burzic (Wood k plus) wrapped up the session with an overview on the project’s case study applications in automotive, textiles and cosmetics demonstrators, offering valuable insights into the practical implementation of SSbD in industrial settings and the, so-far, lessons learned from these real-world applications. 

This webinar demonstrated the growing momentum behind SSbD, the crucial role of collaboration between academia, industry, and technology providers, and the role of the SSbD4CheM project. 

Workshop materials available:

• Presentation (below)
• Recording, in the project YouTube channel under https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYXS0GpTMlA