The workshop “SSbD in Practice: Current Status, Critical Barriers and Success Cases”, organised by EXELISIS with the support of the European Union, was successfully held on 20 April 2026 at the ZEUS Wyndham Grand Athens.
The event featured 18 presenters and attracted more than 140 registered participants from Europe, Asia, and Africa, demonstrating strong global interest in Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD). The audience included over 70 participants from industry, more than 20 from research and technology organisations (RTOs), and over 50 from universities, reflecting a well-balanced and highly engaged stakeholder community. The event was also organised with the support of the PROPLANET and FreeMe projects.
The programme featured three thematic sessions covering policy and regulatory aspects, industrial success stories, and R&D challenges, with contributions from academia, industry, and EU‑funded projects. Lively discussions and practical case studies showcased real‑world SSbD implementation and supported knowledge exchange across sectors.
Serving also as a platform for dialogue and collaboration, the workshop confirmed the relevance of SSbD as a key framework for sustainable innovation and reinforced the value of cross‑sector engagement in advancing safe and sustainable solutions.
SSbD 2026 Team
SSbD Framework, Policy & Regulatory Readiness
This session explored the evolution of the Safe and Sustainable‑by‑Design concept, its core scientific principles, and its alignment with EU policy, regulatory frameworks, and Ecodesign requirements.
Industrial Success Stories & Real‑World Impact
This session showcased concrete industry‑led case studies demonstrating how SSbD principles are being applied across different sectors to deliver practical, real‑world impact.
R&D challenges in SSbD implementation
This session fostered an interactive discussion on research challenges, barriers, and future needs for translating SSbD from research into market‑ready and scalable solutions. Project representatives shared their views in a panel discussion.
Alexandros Katraouzos
President of the Hellenic Association of Chemical Industries board, CEO at NEOTEX S.A.
Georgios Katalagarianakis
PhD, Mining, metallurgy and mechanical engineer, Retired EC officer
Eugenia Valsami-Jones
Professor of Environmental Nanoscience at University of Birmingham, expert in Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD)
Apostolos Scarlatos
SustChem, Vice President, Regulatory & Sustainability Affairs, Hellenic Association of Chemical Industries (HACI), Deputy General Director
Marina Sofra
R&D Manager (VITEX S.A.)
Maddalena Rostagno
CEO at DG Advanced
Stavros Moschidis
Regulatory Affairs Manager (ISOMAT)
Aris Gorogias
QHSE Manager (Megara Resins Group)
Emanuele Grillo
(Tecnochimica S.p.A.)
Stelios Bikos
IRISS Project representative (Coordinator of SusChem Greece)
Mireille Poelman
BIO-SUSHY Coordinator (Materia Nova)
Mirco Valsecchi
Mirco Valsecchi, FreeMe project, R&D Manager (Gaser Group)
Prof. Luca Magagnin
MOZART Coordinator (Politecnico di Milano)
Raquel Rodriguez
Project Manager, TORNADO project coordinator (Tecnalia)
Electra Papadopoulou
Senior Researcher (CHIMAR)
Check out the recording!
You may find the video event video here
