Recap of Polymer Additives Academy 2025
On 5 September 2025, the Polymer Additives Academy 2025 hosted its second (of four) session at the NHOW Hotel in Milan (Italy), bringing together more than 120 participants (80 on-site and 45 online). Organized by the PLANETS partner Greenchemicals, the event served as a platform for dialogue between industry experts, researchers, technicians, and university students, focusing on the latest advances in polymer additives and sustainability.
This second session was focused on styrenics polymers, concretely on insulating foams. The program day’s agenda covered a broad spectrum of topics, from the evolution of XPS foams and low-halogen flame retardants to Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) approaches, recycling strategies, and CAM criteria (Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM – Criteri Ambientali Minimi)). Contributions from academia, industry, and institutions highlighted both regulatory developments and technological solutions driving innovation in the sector.
Of course, PLANETS could not miss it and many partners attended the event: Carl-Christoph Höhne, Benedikt Bitzer (Fraunhofer ICT), Joséphine Steck, Marie Carriere, Nienke Ruijter (CEA), Laura Magnasco, Martina Riccio (RINA), Tobias Moss, Roberto Chinchilla Pardos (Budenheim), Wendel Wohlleben, Ayse Ay (BASF), Martin Himly, Sabine Hofer, Norbert Hofstätter (PLUS), Vanessa Alvear (AIMEN), Herbert Scharnagl, Leonhard Ritter (Steinbacher Dämmstoff GmbH), Thomas Hennequin (TNO), Poornima Nagesh (Radboud University), Anita Sosnowska, Szymon Zdybel (QSAR Lab), as well as the hosts of the event, Micaela Lorenzi, Sabrina Zambotti, Valentina Pelliccioli, Barbara Chinello, Sofia Luise, Davide Lecchi, Doris Lemi (Greenchemicals).
A highlight of the event was the oral presentation by Carl Christoph Höhne (Fraunhofer ICT) and Thomas Hennequin (TNO) entitled “Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) Flame Retardants for Insulation Foams – the EU PLANETS Project Approach”, which provided valuable insights into how SSbD principles can be applied to flame retardants in styrenic insulation materials.
Both presentations are available in the PLANETS Community in Zenodo under DOI: 10.24406/publica-5377.
The strong interest confirmed the event’s success in reaching a highly relevant audience and showcasing collaborative European efforts in advancing sustainability in polymer additives.
Additionally, a hybrid meeting of the flame retardants case study of PLANETS was also organised, to discuss the status and next steps in the project.
Some impressions of the Polymers Academy and the internal meeting:
