Category: News
PLANETS joins the NSC
PLANETS is a project recognized by the Network for Safety and sustainability of Chemicals and materials (NSC, formerly “EU NanoSafety Cluster”). The NSC brings together over 2000 experts from 30+ countries focusing on safety and sustainability of chemicals and materials!Â
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Read the latest NSC Update (which mentions PLANETS) and follow NSC Community on LinkedIn to be updated on relevant activities.Â
5th Stakeholder Workshop on SSbDÂ
On 5 December 2024, PLANETS was represented in Brussels by Simon Clavaguera of CEA at the 5th Stakeholder workshop on “Safe and sustainable by design”, held by the Joint Research Center. Â
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PLANETS partners Wouter Fransman of TNO and Wendel Wohlleben of BASF were also present, while other partners attended online. Â
The main focus of the workshop was on the outcomes of the second reporting period of the SSbD framework, the lessons learnt and the ways forward before the revision of the framework in 2025.Â
PLANETS kicks off in Grenoble
Members of the scientific community from 18 partner organizations met at Minatec in Grenoble from 26-27 November 2024 to launch the Horizon Europe project PLANETS.
PLANETS stands for “Plasticizers, fLame-retardants and surfactANts: new alternatives validating the safE and susTainable by deSign approach” and is funded under the Topic HORIZON-CL4-2024-RESILIENCE-01-24.
The consortium will receive 14.5 million Euros from the European Union’s research and innovation programme to demonstrate the applicability of the SSbD Draft Framework published by the JRC while technically developing alternatives for 3 of the most important classes of molecules in chemical industries: plasticizers, flame retardants and surfactants.
The new molecules and products developed by PLANETS will be significantly safer to workers and consumers and will have considerably lower environmental impact, while ensuring economic viability and social awareness.
This ambitious project, coordinated by Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), which hosted the Kick-Off Meeting, brings together 18 complementary partners from 7 countries, including 7 large industry partners (BASF, Chemische Fabrik Budenheim KG, ELKEM Silicones, Greenchemicals Srl, Steinbacher Dämmstoff GmbH, SYENSQO, Wacker Chemie AG), 3 SMEs (RINA Consulting, STERNA, QSAR Lab), 5 RTOs (AIMEN Technology Center, CEA, TNO, IPC, Fraunhofer ICT) and 3 non-profit research organizations (BioNanoNet Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Radboud University). These partners bring the expertise required for the entire project development, including:
- Development of safer and more sustainable alternatives through SSbD assessments in a tiered approach
- Demonstration of the integration of the new molecules for the manufacturing of new products for various applications (coating, insulation foams and childcare articles)
- Social and humanities sciences
- Business plans and market uptake approaches
- Digital Product Passport
- Identification of new skills and training
- Interactions with appropriate stakeholders and citizens and feedback to JRC and the EC.
PLANETS aims to significantly contribute to paving the way for the adoption of the SSbD framework while proposing a roadmap towards industrialisation and market uptake of the alternative solutions.
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