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The workshop “SSbD in Practice: Current Status, Critical Barriers and Success Cases”, co-organised by the FreeMe project and the EU-funded project PROPLANET, was successfully held on 20 April 2026 at the ZEUS Wyndham Grand Athens, within the framework of the Coatings 2026 conference. The event brought together a large number of participants from research, industry, and policy, both on-site and online, highlighting the strong interest in Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approaches.
The workshop opened with a session focused on the SSbD framework, policy developments, and regulatory readiness, where invited speakers provided insights into the evolution of the SSbD concept, its scientific foundations, and its integration within the European regulatory landscape.
The second session focused on industrial perspectives, presenting real-world examples of SSbD implementation across different sectors. Representatives from industry shared practical experiences, demonstrating how SSbD principles can be applied to support innovation while addressing sustainability and regulatory requirements.
The workshop concluded with a roundtable discussion on the key research and development challenges related to SSbD implementation. The session, chaired by Prof Kostas Pyrgakis (University of West Attica), brought together representatives from several EU-funded projects, including FreeMe (represented by Mirco Valsecchi from Gasser), fostering an open exchange of perspectives on current barriers, future needs, and opportunities for collaboration. The discussion highlighted the importance of cross-sector dialogue and the role of SSbD as a guiding framework for the transition towards more sustainable materials and processes.
Overall, the workshop contributed to strengthening collaboration between projects and stakeholders, while supporting the dissemination and practical understanding of SSbD approaches within the coatings and surface treatment community.
