16th NanoTrust Conference – Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design in Practice: Nanomaterials, Advanced Materials, and Beyond

Institute of Technology-Assessment / Austrian Academy of Sciences

The 16th NanoTrust Conference took place at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna on 17 October 2025, on the topic “Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design in Practice: Nanomaterials, Advanced Materials, and Beyond”. Participants had the opportunity to explore the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework from an interdisciplinary and technology assessment perspective. The event brought together international experts to examine the framework’s evolution, application, and path toward industry-wide adoption across three focused sessions. 

After a welcome from Michael Nentwich, Director of the Institute of Technology Assessment, the NanoTrust team set the stage by presenting the project and discussing its integration within the Institute’s activities (Gudrun Lettner). This was followed by an analysis of the synergies between Technology Assessment methods and the SSbD framework in supporting the integration of societal goals into the innovation process (Jean Schmitt). 

The first session focused on the framework’s evolution and its integration within the innovation and regulatory landscape. Hubert Rauscher from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre presented the latest developments, building on two testing phases and a public consultation conducted over the past two years, leading up to a recommendation from the Commission in 2026. Monique Groenewold from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment emphasized the important role of the SSbD framework in strengthening the innovation process and contributing to a more resilient and competitive EU industry. Focusing on advanced materials, she highlighted challenges in applying the framework, such as data gaps, methodological limitations, regulatory uncertainties, and industry uptake, and proposed solutions to address them, along with governance priorities for maximizing the benefits of advanced materials. Concluding the session, René Korenromp from the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management presented the ongoing efforts to establish cooperation with the Dutch chemical industry through the creation of SSbD centres, part of ongoing efforts to make sustainable innovation more attractive to industry. These centres aim to generate synergies between industry, policymakers, and regulators, providing support and training on the application of the SSbD framework. 

In the second session, participants received an overview of the application of the framework in the EU and in Austria. Blanca Suaréz-Merino from TEMAS Solutions shared lessons learnt through collaborations with industry partners on EU projects, offering insights to accelerate the adoption of SSbD principles. Lisa Pizzol from GreenDecisions presented the “Sunshine” and “Sunrise” projects, which led to the development of a digital infrastructure designed to support implementation and facilitate the adoption of SSbD. Andreas Falk from the BioNanoNet presented findings from three projects involving nanomaterials: PHASE5, SESAM, and NABIHEAL. He provided recommendations for integrating socio-economic impacts into the SSbD framework and identified challenges such as the need for clear social indicators and the current lack of standardized tools. Finally, Stefanie Prenner from Brimatech Services reported on the SiNa project, focusing on the applications of SSbD in Austrian small and medium enterprises. She presented an analysis of the challenges and opportunities associated with applying the framework, which resulted in recommendations towards an Austrian SSbD roadmap.  

To conclude this insightful day, a panel discussion brought together Monique Groenewold, Blanca Suaréz-Merino, Lisa Pizzol, Hubert Rauscher, Andreas Falk, and Alexander Pogány from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility, and Infrastructure (BMIMI). The panel discussed the necessary conditions for successful adoption of the SSbD framework, the roles of different stakeholders (research, industry, policymakers, regulators), and highlighted the importance of public communication. 

Throughout the day, participants also had the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas on a pinboard, which will serve as a basis for future activities of the NanoTrust team in supporting the implementation of the SSbD framework.