BNN QUARTERLY - 02/2025

Impressum:

Owner and publisher:

BioNanoNet Forschungsgesellschaft mbH

Kaiser-Josef-Platz 9, 8010 Graz, Austria

UID: ATU 63046279, FN 285326 y

Graphic Design & Layout: Barbara Ebner

Cover: lix.one SLC radar sensor by lixtec © lixtec GmbH

INNOVATION

Editorial

AS INDUSTRIES DIGITIZE, IT IS HUMAN CONNECTION THAT MATTERS

Ihave to admit that I was not expecting this. A few months ago we put out a call to the BioNanoNet Association community to contribute articles on our focus topic “Digital Transition for Innovative Technologies”. Beyond our QUARTERLY focus topics, members are always welcome to send us updates on their research and development. We were expecting a slew of articles on the digital transition, but instead, the articles we received all told of the power of human collaboration.

Our members are proud to share about their work in national and European-level projects with hands-on results that are being brought to the public, such as in STARHAUS from BioNanoNet member ANALISIS-DSC or InnoCoat4Plasma from member Wood K plus.

The experience of our team in the last 3 months has also highlighted the power – and joy – of “real-world” connection at public science events such as Pint of Science with SimVantage and MUG, large conferences such as SETAC, or collaborations such as with HTS for the NextGenMicrofluidics final event. The digital transition is here and making scientific breakthroughs faster and safer, but digitization is no replacement for the ideas and trust built when we meet in person and work together.

The people behind the NSC and its related projects have been especially active, and

we’re proud that BNN and 9 BioNanoNet Association members were involved in the NMBP16 sister projects HARMLESS, DIAGONAL and SUNSHINE, which were highlighted in the CORDIS Results Pack on Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design. Efforts of the past few months in SSbD culminated in a successful panel at EUIndTech25 in Krakow moderated by Martin Himly (PLUS) with myself as panelist alongside Prof. Eva Valsami-Jones (University of Birmingham) and other esteemed experts in this field.

We hope you do check out our focus articles from members lixtec GmbH on the digital transition that is revolutionizing public lighting and ams OSRAM on digital innovation in medical technology. But remember that it’s the people behind the technology that make the world of difference.

Enjoy,

Andreas & the BNN Team

NSC and BNN Present

SSbD at EUIndTech25

EUIndTech2025 is the EU flagship event, as part of the Polish presidency of the EU Council. It merges the two cyclical events, “Conference on Industrial Technologies” and “EuroNanoForum”. The EUIndTech now brings together stakeholders from academia, research organizations, industry, NGOs and policymakers to discuss the state-of-the-art technologies, challenges and trends.

BNN's CEO Andreas Falk organized the NSC Session, having Prof. Martin Himly (PLUS) as moderator and Prof. Eva Valsami-Jones (UoB) as speaker in key roles of the session. Together with other members of the NSC and further stakeholders they were on stage at EUIndTech25 in Krakow for the NSC-session “Designing Safe and Sustainable Materials and Chemicals – SSbD Implementation and Digitalization” in the afternoon of 2 June 2025.

The NSC session addressed the importance of integrated approaches, data-related expectations, advantages and challenges for ultimately balancing ecological and economic goals for a more sustainable future. The session was moderated by Martin Himly with oral presentations

given by Eugenia Valsami-Jones, Andreas Künkel and Garbine Guiu Etxeberria. A panel discussion brought together Andreas Falk, Daniel Hubert, Peter Klein and Mary B. Walsh.

Following the discussions during the session, the panellists formulated 3 paragraphs as output of the session, which will be part of the Krakow Declaration:

Martin Himly moderating the session “Designing Safe and Sustainable Materials and Chemicals –SSbD Implementation and Digitalization”

Output for the Krakow Declaration

Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD)guided innovation of materials and chemicals represents an essential requirement for any future product entering the European market, enabling integration of functional performance, safety and sustainability. Efforts need to be taken to facilitate science-led harmonization of environmental, economic, and societal requirements at early innovation stages. Such well-balanced approaches require a multidisciplinary collaboration further supported by tailored funding, interconnected on regional, national and international level to gain synergies of public investment.

The SSbD panel discussion at EUIndTech25 ving various sectors are needed. Performance indicators are required to be included in SSbD digitalization to foster and speed-up the uptake of innovative advanced materials in industrial production. Efforts need to be taken to improve data quality and metadata completeness to increase the reliability of predictions and generate greater acceptance and trust.

Interoperable digitally enabled workflows covering entire value chains ser-

Upon SSbD implementation, focus shall be on solution-oriented approaches that need to include communication between all stakeholders. Market-focused incentives for SSbD implementation need to be established within the EU to generate employment and economic growth as part of the green deal in Europe and later globally.

As a panelist, Andreas Falk was able to introduce the BNN-coordinated project InnoMatSyn to a very engaged audience in Krakow.

InnoMatSyn project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement n° 101204218. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

From left: Jose Caldiera, Andreas Falk, Amaya Igartua and Marco Falzetti

We were thrilled to meet InnoMatSyn partners Jose Caldeira (INESC TEC), Marco Falzetti (APRE) and Amaya Igartua (Tekniker).

Contact

Andreas Falk andreas.falk@bnn.at innomatsyn.eu

Pint of Science brings Technology to the Pub

The international festival Pint of Science has been bringing scientific talks to pubs across Europe for over a decade. Each year, on three consecutive evenings in May, people have a chance to listen to fun scientific talks in their local bars.

This year, Pint of Science in Graz hosted 9 events in 3 locations – Bar28, Mi Casa, and Ducks Coffee Shop – from 19-21 May 2025. BNN was proud to host the topic “Tech Me Out” at Bar28 on the final evening. Moderated by Caitlin Ahern, the event linked safety and sustainability of new technologies, BNN’s guiding mission, to the topics of our two invited speakers from BioNanoNet member organizations and our EU projects NABIHEAL and PLANETS.

Julia Mader, of the Medical University of Graz, presented the history of diabetes technology and what is on the horizon for diabetes management. Then Lukas Gsenger of SimVantage guided the audience through computer simulations of biotechnological processes – thus figuring out the answer to the burning question,

“How long can I leave my beer standing before it loses its taste?” The event sold out and the audience had the opportunity to ask questions and participate in a quiz.

BioNanoNet members were well represented at other sessions, too, including recently featured Early Career Researchers Nerea Alonso Lopez and Hanna Allerkamp, both of MedUni Graz. We are grateful to the organizers of Pint of Science, all of whom are volunteers, for this opportunity!

Contact

Caitlin Ahern caitlin.ahern@bnn.at

From left: Lukas Gsenger (SimVantage), Caitlin Ahern (BNN) and Julia Mader (MUG)

Nerea Alonso Lopez (MUG)

Styrian Minister

Willibald Ehrenhöfer with BNN’s CEO

Andreas Falk

BNN CEO Meets Styrian Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour, Finance, Science and Research

On 19 May 2025, Styrian State Minister ( Landesrat ) for Economic Affairs, Labour, Finance, Science and Research Willibald Ehrenhöfer invited Andreas Falk, CEO of BNN, to speak about the strategic importance of advanced materials, and BNN's key role in this field via coordinating both the national project ATIMA and the EU-funded project InnoMatSyn. After describing BNN’s role in both projects and their potential impact on the Styrian, Austrian and European advanced materials ecosystems, Andreas Falk also explained how circularity and the implementation of SSbD will be crucial for bringing scientific findings to the benefit of society.

It is a great policy signal to have members of the Styrian State Council supporting advanced/innovative materials on the regional, national and European levels!

The FFG is the central national funding organisation and strengthens Austria’s innovative power. This project is funded by the FFG, project n° FO999919580.

InnoMatSyn project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement n° 101204218. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Contact Andreas Falk andreas.falk@bnn.at atima.at innomatsyn.eu

BNN and Members Active at SETAC European Congress

From 11-15 May 2025, BNN and several BioNanoNet Association members were active at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Europe 35 th Annual Meeting at the Austria Center in Vienna.

Under the overarching theme “Innovation for Tomorrow: Progress in Safe and Sustainable Concepts”, the conference emphasized the need for integration of cutting-edge innovations with safety and sustainability considerations, through implementation and expansion of the Safe and Sustainable by Design thinking, as well as its application beyond the development of new molecules and products (e.g., also to cities, land use and landscapes). The conference attracted roughly 3000 people to the capital of Austria, including several BioNanoNet members, such as BOKU, Bio-Nano Interactions Lab at PLUS, BRIMATECH, OCSiAl Europe, PyroScience, TEMAS Solutions, University of Graz, and WOOD K plus. It was

great to catch up in person during the many coffee breaks and lunches.

On Sunday, the pre-conference kicked off with a training course on “Safety and Sustainability Assessment in the Context of EU SSbD Framework”, co-organized by Ivana Burzic of Wood K plus with BNN’s Matiss Reinfelds.

During the main conference on Monday, we heard a poster pitch from Claudia MairBauernfeind: “Decision Support in Safe and Sustainable by Design: A Case Study in the Energy Storage Sector”, presenting an SSbD matrix that enabled a comprehensive comparison of electrolyte materials by integrating safety, sustainability, and social indicators funded by the FFG project SuESS, with partners Uni Graz, TU Graz, BOKU, Biobide and BNN.

On Tuesday there were several sessions on SSbD, including a poster pitch from member Stefanie Prenner (BRIMATECH), “Bringing

Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design to the public – exploring stakeholders’ concerns and needs towards nanotechnologies” presenting nano-themed stakeholder engagement activities carried out by IZES and BNN within the H2020 project DIAGONAL. Veronique Adam of TEMAS Solutions GmbH gave an oral presentation on “Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design Advanced Materials: Application of the HARMLESS Approach to Imogolites for Agricultural Application”.

We also heard a talk by Claudia Mair-Bauernfeind again on PHASE5 project results: “Stakeholder Engagement for Advancing Socioeconomic Assessment in Safe and Sustainable by Design” (with contributions from BNN, RCPE and UniGraz), as well as a talk by Vrishali Subramanian “Combining Policy and Industry Perspectives for building a Safe and Sustainable by Design Scoping Approach” presenting activities from the PARC project. Matiss Reinfelds shared his poster “Redesigning for the Future: Applying Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) Principles in High-Impact Che -

mical Industries” with results from our project PLANETS (including member PLUS).

On Wednesday the focus turned to communication in the session “Communication for Tomorrow: From Experimental Design Towards Societal Impact” with an oral presentation from BNN’s Caitlin Ahern, assessing social media activities to get “beyond the bubble” in PLANETS, SSbD4CheM, DIAGONAL and HARMLESS.

Throughout the week there were many other presentations and posters from projects such as HARMLESS, SSbD4CheM and IRISS.

It is a privilege to provide services ranging from regulatory support to SSbD to science communication to this community, committed to a future of safe and sustainable innovations!

Contact

Caitlin Ahern caitlin.ahern@bnn.at

Caitlin Ahern at her oral presentation

NanoMedicine-AT organizes Joint Webinar with NANOMED SPAIN

As coordinator of NanoMedicine-Austria, BNN was thrilled to have the opportunity to join forces with NANOMED SPAIN for a webinar bringing together experts from both national technology platforms to share their activities, outcomes and ideas for future collaboration.

The webinar, which took place 25 April 2025, offered an overview of each platform – NanoMedicine-AT from Susanne Resch, BNN, and NANOMED Spain from Cristina Arimany-Nardi, IBEC. Then we heard presentations from platform members. From Austria, Sebastian Schwaminger (Medical University of Graz)

presented “Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Drug Delivery” and Thomas Mohr (ScienceConsult) presented “Bioinformatics meets Nanomedicine“.

The recording is available on the BNN YouTube channel . Thank you to all the participants from Austria and Spain!

Contact

Johanna K. Scheper johanna.scheper@bnn.at nanomedicine-austria.at

The Next Generation of Microfluidics brings Austrian-led Breakthroughs to European community

The NextGenMicrofluidics final dissemination event was a huge success, welcoming roughly 58 people from the microfluidics community across Europe to Graz.

At the close of this 5-year H2020 project, NextGen Microfluidics coordinator Martin Smolka (JOANNEUM RESEARCH) and Communication & Dissemination manager Caitlin Ahern (BNN) held a final event as a satellite of the Health Tech Hub (HTH) Styria conference in Graz.

NGM was able to organize a final microfluidics keynote within HTH by Iene Rutten of Biosensors group – Lammertyn lab, Department of Biosystems – KU Leuven.

Then the HTH organizers handed over the microphone to NGM to continue with our satel-

lite event, including speakers from the NGM project (Anja Haase, Joanneum Resarch; Jörg Nestler, BiFlow; Max Sonnleitner, GENSPEED Biotech; Martin Hajnsek, ERBA Technologies; and Ane Ayerdi Izquierdo and Verónica Mora Sanz, TECNALIA Research and Innovation), as well as Ronald Tingl and Divesh Baxani Kamal of Microfluidics Innovation Hub, the single entry point to the services of the NGM partners. We were thrilled to have guest speakers from two of our 18 funded Open Call projects: Marian Weiss of VERAXA Biotech GmbH and Till Böhme and Tobias Jacob of Lumeox.

Our final session brough together exciting players in the Austrian microfluidics landscape, such as Advanced Microfluidics Initiative (AMI) presented by Martin Smolka of JOANNEUM

Photos © Foto Fischer

RESEARCH, Pyroscience and Graz University of Technology presented by Torsten Mayr, Sarcura presented by Sara Sofia Deville, Molecular Devices presented by Felix Spira, and elyte diagnostics GmbH presented by Stefan Köstler.

The hands-on demonstrations at several of our 12 presentation booths, as well as the posters and networking completed an enriching program.

View the photo gallery on LinkedIn .

Role of BNN in NextGenMicrofluidics:

Safety-by-Design, Quality management, Project management, Graphic Design, Communication & Dissemination

Contact Caitlin Ahern caitlin.ahern@bnn.at nextgenmicrofluidics.eu

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement n° 862092.

Digital Transition for Innovative Technologies FOCUS TOPIC OF THIS ISSUE:

Illuminating the Digital Transition: lixtec's Radar Sensors for Dynamic Street Lighting

The ongoing digital transition is fundamentally reshaping urban infrastructure, paving the way for innovative technologies that enhance efficiency, sustainability, and citizen well-being. lixtec, a pioneering technology company from Graz, Austria, specializing in

advanced sensor solutions, is revolutionizing public lighting. Their focus on cutting-edge radar technology is making the vision of truly demand-responsive street lighting a tangible reality, moving beyond static illumination schedules.

Traditional street lighting operates on fixed timers or basic photocell triggers, often resulting in energy wastage during periods of low or no traffic or, conversely, a potentially dangerous general reduction of light levels during the night in an attempt to conserve energy. This inherent inefficiency presents a significant challenge in the context of growing environmental concerns and the imperative for smart city development. The digital transition in public lighting, spearheaded by companies like lixtec, offers a potent solution: the deployment of intelligent sensor networks capable of dynamically adjusting light levels based on real-time environmental conditions and user presence.

Among the various sensing modalities available, radar technology offers a unique set of advantages for adaptive street lighting applications. Radar sensors emit short pulses of radio waves and analyze the reflected signals to determine the presence, distance, velocity, and even direction of movement of objects within their field of view and are not influenced by temperature. This rich data stream forms the foundation for filter algorithms, developed for lixtec by its parent company MEDS.

The digital transition is not merely about deploying sensors – it encompasses the entire data ecosystem. The data generated by these radar-equipped luminaires can be invaluable for broader smart city initiatives. Traffic flow patterns, pedestrian density, and even environmental data can be aggregated and analyzed, providing insights for urban planning, traffic management, and public safety strategies. This interconnectedness, facilitated by digital communication networks, transforms isolated lighting fixtures into nodes within a comprehensive urban sensing infrastructure.

Intelligent lighting is a win-win investment: By moving from static to dynamic illumination, communities can achieve significant energy efficiencies, save money in the process, reduce CO 2-emissions and light pollution, while unlocking valuable data for smarter urban management. As sensor technology continues to evolve,

lix.one SLC radar sensor by lixtec

pushed forwards as with lixtec’s research and development, radar-equipped adaptive street lighting is poised to become a cornerstone of future smart cities, illuminating not just our streets, but also the path towards a more sustainable and digitally integrated urban environment.

The company is based in Graz, Austria and operates internationally. lixtec stands for innovative technologies, energy efficiency and sustainability.

Contact

Eva Höfler

lixtec GmbH

About lixtec

lixtec GmbH is a technology company specialising in the development and production of intelligent radar sensors for public lighting.

e.hoefler@lixtec.com www.lixtec.com

Motion based and volume based lighting control

Driving Innovation in Medical Technology: ams OSRAM expands Portfolio for Diagnostics, Wearables, and Life Sciences

As digital technologies continue to transform the healthcare sector, sensor and light-based innovations play a central role in enabling new applications and improving patient outcomes. ams OSRAM contributes to this transition by developing advanced optical and sensor components that support a wide spectrum of applications from high-end diagnostic imaging to wearable health monitoring and lab-based analytics.

Photon Counting: A new era of precision in medical imaging

Revolutionizing medical imaging with unmatched clarity and efficiency, photon counting technology represents the next major advancement in CT diagnostics. Unlike conventional CT, which relies on indirect detection, photon counting directly captures and quantifies individual X-ray photons. This results in sharper images and significantly reduced radiation exposure—an essential step toward more personalized, accurate, and safer diagnostics.

The AS5920M from ams OSRAM, a disruptive 4-side buttable package solution

ams OSRAM recently introduced the AS5920M, a disruptive 4-side buttable package solution and the first of its kind in photon counting detectors. Designed to support the most demanding CT applications, this innovation reflects a key milestone in digital healthcare—enabling clearer insights for clinicians, even at low dose levels, and paving the way for broader access to next-generation imaging technologies.

Miniaturized solutions for everyday health monitoring

As more people track their health using smart rings, earbuds, and other wearables, miniaturization becomes a critical factor. ams OSRAM's newest ultra-compact Chip LED is designed to enhance the accuracy of heart rate monitoring in such devices. Though only slightly larger than a grain of sand, this component delivers high brightness and energy efficiency, supporting the development of more precise and power-conscious wearables.

Laser light for life sciences

At the same time, advances in lab diagnostics and genomics also depend on photonics. The company's latest cyan laser diode, emitting up to 300 milliwatts optical power at 488 nanometers, is optimized for applications like DNA sequencing and flow cytometry. Its increased brightness and efficiency allow for faster, more accurate analysis in research and clinical settings.

Whether in hospitals, laboratories, or at home, ams OSRAM technologies support the digital transformation of health systems. By providing core components that enable innovation, the company helps bridge the gap between cutting-edge science and everyday medical practice.

Contact Christina Schönbacher ams OSRAM christina.schoenbacher@ams-osram.com www.ams-osram.com

Member Updates

STARHAUS Project Revolutionizes Manufacturing Industry

BioNanoNet Association member ANALISIS-DSC is proud to introduce the BioNanoNet community to the innovative EU project STARHAUS, which is set to redefine the way modern communities interact with technology and each other to foster a sustainable future. At the heart of the STARHAUS mission is the goal to revolutionise consumption habits, guiding people towards choices that are both healthy for us and sustainable for our planet, without compromising on quality or affordability.

Throughout this project the consortium aims to measure the openness of citizens towards creating and using customised products in a circular economy model that is powered through an innovative human-machine interaction merged with an artistic touch.

They do simulations of mixing processes for the case studies – these are fertilizers – pet food, cereals and beverages to include them in the digital twin of the project. This initiative aligns perfectly with the European vision of a greener, more inclusive, and smarter future.

Within the project, ANALISIS- DSC is responsible for analysis of the mixing strategy of the STARHAUS concept to be integrated in the MDFs (Machine Demonstration Facilities, name of the technologies developed) by embedding the mixing solution into the Digital Twin of the concept, to be applied in 4 FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) case studies: beverages, fertilizers, pet food, cereals.

Read the whole article here .

STARHAUS consortium at their kick-off meeting in Brussels, December 2023.

The PräNUDGE project aims to enable health service providers and public institutions to make better use of available data for prevention work.

JOANNEUM RESEARCH HEALTH

PräNUDGE: Digital Health Motivation

The recently launched FFG project PräNUDGE was set up with the aim of increasing the number of healthy life years of the Austrian population. By combining evidence-based health promotion with nudging strategies, i.e. the targeted initiation of behavioural changes, citizens are to be motivated to adopt healthier behaviours. Joanneum Research HEALTH is the project coordinator.

‘As part of the PräNUDGE project, we are developing a platform for integrating standardised lifestyle data from apps. This should enable health service providers and public instituti -

ons to make better use of available data for prevention work and promote a sustainable preventive health policy,’ explains project manager and institute director Franz Feichtner.

Digitalisation in medicine is a topic of great interest. The aim is to use data and data processing to make health promotion and prevention more efficient. Unlike commercial fitness and health apps like Garmin or Apple Health, the added value of PräNUDGE lies in the integration of health data on a non-profit platform.

Read the whole article here .

Photo © iStock

LATVIAN STATE INSTITUTE OF WOOD CHEMISTRY

BTechPro! Conference – Opportunity for Young Scientists with a Passion for Biorefineries and Circular Economy

The BTechPro! organising team at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry are excitedly putting together details for the International Conference for Young Scientists on Biorefinery Technologies and Products to be held next year on 6 th-8 th May.

BTechPro2026 will be the third edition of this bi-annual conference which was conceptualised and has been consistently orchestrated by early-stage researchers to create their perfect knowledge exchange and networking event. “By young scientists for young scientists” – the conference aims to balance an excellent scientific program, thought provoking plenary lectures, useful workshops, and a friendly, supportive atmosphere. Above all, everyone gets to speak at BTechPro! to maximally empower students and postdocs, working on topics related to biomass conversion technologies.

Last year there were almost 100 registered participants at BTechPro2024, including support from the industry, academic, and governmental organisations, and the future looks just as bright! So far, confirmed topics for the next year’s program include Life Cycle

Assessment for different industry and academic frameworks, regional policy making and investments, academic ethics, and aspects of successful international cooperation. Learn more about the event here .

The BTechPro! Conference in 2024

Newly funded M-ERA.NET project InnoCoat4Plasma –

Innovative, bio-based plasma coatings on microto nano-structured surfaces for microfluidic and riblet applications

BioNanoNet Association member Wood K plus is proud to join forces with INMOLD A/S (DNK), bionic surface technologies GmbH (AUT), LIST (LUX) and Peak Emulsions ApS (DNK) in the exciting project InnoCoat4Plasma.

The aim of the InnoCoat4Plasma project is to develop bio-based coatings with functional fillers that are applied using atmospheric pressure plasma technologies and improve the technological and antimicrobial properties of imprinted thermoplastic foils for microfluidic and riblet applications. The solutions are evaluated and optimized using multiscale modelling.

Fluid dynamic surfaces and coatings are in high demand in various industries such as food, cosmetics and paper production. While flow optimization is achieved by bio-mimicking structured surfaces, durable antimicrobial and hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties can only be achieved through additional coatings. This poses the challenge of addressing the sophisticated functionality of the surface appropriate to the end-use while reducing raw material use and saving energy for its application. The substitution of fossil resources, energy-efficient use and recyclability of the end products are also goals of sustainable development, the circular economy, and the European Green Deal.

Read the whole article here .

Overall concept of InnoCoat4Plasma

BRAVE ANALYTICS / GRAZ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

TU Graz and BRAVE Develop New Method for Detecting Nanoplastics in Body Fluids

Microplastics and the much smaller nanoplastics enter the human body in various ways, for example through food or the air we breathe. A large proportion is excreted, but a certain amount remains in organs, blood and other body fluids. In the FFG bridge project Nano-VISION, which was launched two years ago together with the start-up BRAVE Analytics, a team led by Harald Fitzek from the Institute of Electron Microscopy and Nanoanalysis at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) and an ophthalmologist from Graz addressed the question of whether nanoplastics also play a role in ophthalmology. The project partners have now been able to develop a method for detecting and quantifying nanoplastics in transparent body fluids and determining their chemical composition. As an exemplary appli -

cation of the method, the research team is investigating whether intraocular lenses release nanoplastics. There have been no such studies to date, and initial results have already been submitted to a scientific journal.

Scattered laser light reveals concentration and composition

Micro- and nanoplastics are detected in two steps. The sensor platform developed by BRAVE Analytics draws in the liquid to be analysed and pumps it through a glass tube. There, a weakly focused laser is shone through the liquid in or against the direction of flow. If the light hits any particles, the laser pulse accelerates or decelerates them – larger particles more strongly than smaller ones.

Read the whole article here .

Harald Fitzek, Christian Neuper and Christian Hill (from left) at the sensor platform, which uses laser light to detect nanoplastic particles in liquids. Image source: Lunghammer - TU Graz

3D-printed structure made of optimised hydrogel. Image source: Manisha Sonthalia - Vellore Institute of Technology

Research Team from TU Graz and India Developing Printed Skin to Replace Animal Testing

Aresearch

team from TU Graz and the Vellore Institute of Technology in India is developing a 3D-printed skin imitation equipped with living cells in order to test nanoparticles from cosmetics without animal testing.

Directive 2010/63/EU laid down restrictions on animal testing for the testing of cosmetics and their ingredients throughout the EU. Therefore, there is an intense search for alternatives to test the absorption and toxicity of nanoparticles from cosmetics such as sun creams.

A team of researchers from Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) and the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) in India is working on the development of skin imitations that mimic the native three-layer tissue structure and biomechanics of human skin. Such imitations can be

produced using 3D printing and consist of hydrogel formulations that are printed together with living cells. The first skin models are now ready for nanoparticle testing.

Hydrogels in which skin cells survive and grow

“The hydrogels for our skin imitation from the 3D printer have to fulfil a number of requirements,” says Karin Stana Kleinschek from the Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Biobased Systems at TU Graz. “The hydrogels must be able to interact with living skin cells. These cells not only have to survive, but also have to be able to grow and multiply.”

Read the whole article here .

GRAZ

Advanced VOC Emission Analysis for Next Generation

Wood Plastic Composites for Car Interior Trims in the SSbD4CheM Project: Insights from Wood K plus

To meet the automotive sustainability targets of zero net carbon by 2050, there is an urgent need for the development and introduction of new materials like renewable composites with >80% renewable feedstock content addressing in parallel lower environmental impact and reduced material weight, thereby reducing fuel consumption of the used car. SSbD4CheM project funded under Horizon Europe CL4 Resilience 01-21 call covers the development of the next generation of Wood Plastic Composites (WPCs) with optimized emissions using sustainable natural fillers addressing the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for car interior trims. Wood K plus Bio-Based Composites and Processes Team covers WPC material development for injection molding applications in close collaboration with CRF Italy. Wood K plus Indoor Quality and Emission Control (IQEC) Team takes care of detailed analysis of VOC (volatile organic compounds) emission testing of prepared materials. In this article we report more details on the ongoing work from Wood K plus Indoor Quality and Emission Control Team.

Traditional VOC (volatile organic compounds) emission testing in the automotive sector, such as the VDA 278 method, primarily assesses materials based on a single sum value, specifically the total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). However, a more comprehensive approach focuses on the detailed monitoring of individual VOC emissions and their respective emission rates within a realistic exposure scenario. To achieve this goal, we coupled micro emission test chambers (Markes µ-CTE™ 250) with a PTR/TOF (Proton Transfer Reaction/ Time of Flight, Vocus CI-TOF, Tofwerk, Switzerland) mass spectrometer from Tofwerk and monitored heating cycles of WPCs (Wood Polymer Composites) simulating a realistic exposure scenario (like a hot car in summer, 65°C for 4 hours; ISO 12219-3). PTR/TOF can be easily implemented to measure selected VOC emissions in the ppb range in a targeted analysis if calibration gas standards are available.1 It can also be used for untargeted analysis to screen materials for unknown VOC emissions.

Read the whole article here .

Figure 1: Set-up for (T)VOC emission testing by coupling of micro emission chambers with PTR/TOF-MS

Project Presentations & Updates

NSC Community towards responsible chemicals and materials development for Europe’s green transition

Meeting Europe’s environmental and sustainability goals requires transitioning industry toward a circular economy, centred on the production and use of innovative chemicals and materials that are safe, non-toxic, sustainable and easily recyclable while maintaining or improving performance.

The April 2025 CORDIS Results Pack was on the topic safe and sustainable by design (SSbD). With the subtitle "Safe and sustainable by design chemicals and materials for Europe’s green transition", the Pack highlights that transitioning to a circular economy is key to achieving Europe’s sustainability goals — and it starts with SSbD chemicals and materials. This CORDIS Results Pack showcases the work of 11 Horizon-Europe-funded projects (including the NSC Community sister projects of H2020-NMBP-16-call DIAGONAL, HARMLESS, and SUNSHINE, as well as PROPLANET and IRISS) centred on high-performance chemicals and materials designed and developed using the SSbD framework as an innovation

guide. The collection demonstrates the potential of the chemicals and materials to ensure safe and sustainable industrial production, securing resilience and innovation potential in a number of industrial sectors critical for European autonomy, including medicine, advanced manufacturing (automotive and machinery), textile and energy.

BNN, as partner in DIAGONAL, IRISS & HARMLESS, is very proud of having contributed to spearhead the global developments in SSbD, ensuring the long-term resilience of the European industrial and manufacturing value chains, and furthering the ambitious objectives of the EU green transition strategy.

Read the CORDIS Pack here .

Recap of ATIMA activities (March – May 2025)

ATIMA: Driving Innovation in Austria in the field of Advanced/Innovative Materials for a Sustainable Future

From March – May 2025, the ATIMA partners have continued their activities for raising awareness on the project and its goals, engaging with different stakeholder groups, and strengthening the identity of Austria’s advanced/innovative materials (AdMa) community.

Here we have gathered highlights of activities in the last three months:

ATIMA

Workshop

03.03.2025, Vienna, Austria (BNN, All)

BNN organized the first ATIMA workshop on 3 rd March 2025, dedicated to the future of AdMa in Austria and beyond. Key players from industry, research, and policy explored trends, challenges, and collaborative opportunities within the AdMa ecosystem. The ATIMA community engaged in an exclusive, in-depth discussion on emerging trends, thematic developments, and strategic directions in AdMa. The workshop was the initial step towards shaping a comprehensive national roadmap for AdMa, ensuring their role in fostering sustainability and prosperity as well as to integrate the national community in the European Ecosystem. More details about the event here .

Half-day

training and further education for members

06.03.2025, Ternitz, Austria (AM-Austria)

AM-Austria organised half-day training and further education for the members of the association. The oral presentation from Alexander Aigner (AdditiveXperts) on “Material-specific parameter optimisation in the LASER-powder bed process”, and Michael Kitzmantel (RHP), on “Coldspray as AM technology for new components and component optimisation” can be highlighted. The training session was followed by a network meeting.

Training by AM-Austria

Anwenderforum SMART TEXTILES

13 th Anwenderforum SMART TEXTILES

26-27.03.2025, Stuttgart, Germany (V-trion)

The Smart Textiles Platform Austria took part in the 13th Anwenderforum SMART TEXTILES in Stuttgart, an event that clearly showcased the versatility and forward-looking potential of intelligent textiles.

Held at the Haus der Wirtschaft, the forum brought together experts from industry and research to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and innovations in the field. The two-day program featured a diverse range of presentations highlighting key topics such as standardization and quality assurance in smart materials, sensor integration in vehicles, smart clothing for occupational safety, textile-based solutions for green infrastructure, and applications in the aerospace sector.

An exclusive tour of the Stuttgart 21 railway project provided additional insights into how smart textiles can intersect with large-scale infrastructure. The accompanying exhibition and networking opportunities offered a platform for collaboration and the exchange of ideas.

The event demonstrated once again that smart textiles are not only technologically fascinating, but also highly relevant for a wide range of practical applications across industries.

Biopolymers & Beyond

01-02.04.2025, Vienna, Austria (Business Upper Austria)

The event “Biopolymers and Beyond” took place on April 1–2, 2025, in Vienna, focusing on the defossilization of plastics through renewable carbon sources such as biomass and CO 2. Experts from science, industry, and policy shared insights on innovative technologies, legal frameworks, and best practices for sustainable plastics. Key topics included novel recycling methods, CO 2-based materials, and the role of biobased polymers in a circular economy.

Visit to the TU Space and TU Racing teams

07.04.2025, Vienna, Austria (AM-Austria)

Colleagues of AM-Austria visited the facilities of the TU Space and TU Racing teams to establish contact between industry and students, ensuring collaboration in the future. Additionally, AM presented the ATIMA project. The two TU teams gave an overview on their current projects and guided the participants through a tour of their workshops.

3D-Printing Forum

08.04.20025 (AM-Austria)

Colleagues of AM-Austria attended the 3D Printing Forum, with content input and promoting ATIMA activities.

Health Care Symposium

Alexander Pogany presenting at Ressourcenwende 2025

15.05.2025, Bozen, Italy (V-trion)

On May 15, the Smart Textiles Platform Austria took part in the “ Robotics in AAL & Healthcare ” event, hosted at the Melittaklinik in Bolzano. The event focused on innovative solutions in Active and Assisted Living (AAL) and healthcare, bringing together experts from research, technology, and care sectors.

During its presentation, the platform introduced smart textile technologies designed to support caregivers and improve the quality of life for elderly individuals. Special emphasis was placed on textile-integrated sensors for monitoring vital signs, which can be seamlessly embedded into daily care processes and systems.

The participation of the Smart Textiles Platform Austria highlighted the crucial role of interdisciplinary collaboration—linking textiles, electronics, and healthcare—to develop practical, future-ready solutions. The presentation received strong interest and sparked discussions around future partnerships in smart healthcare innovations.

Ressourcenwende 2025: Innovation för-

dern, Zukunft gestalten

19.05.2025, Lustenau, Austria (V-trion)

On May 19, the Smart Textiles Platform Austria hosted the event "Ressourcenwende 2025 – Innovation fördern, Zukunft gestalten", focusing on sustainable transformation and the efficient use of resources. This gathering addressed one of the most pressing global challenges: the need for innovative approaches to resource conservation and circular economy models.

The event introduced the new "Ressourcenwende 2025" funding initiative by the FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency), which aims to support projects that promote resource-efficient solutions through applied research, industrial implementation, and strong collaboration.

Keynote speakers presented pioneering projects and technologies, including:

 Alexander Pogany (Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure), who outlined the goals and structure of the Ressourcenwende 2025 initiative.

 Oliver Obrist (Obrist GmbH), who introduced "Electromobility 2.0" as a sustainable alternative for future mobility.

 Bernd Lechner (APS Robotics GmbH), who highlighted the role of additive manufacturing as a key enabler for sustainable production.

 Ralph Hoch (Digital Factory Vorarlberg GmbH), who demonstrated how intelligent data use can drive industrial innovation.

The event concluded with an open networking session, allowing participants to exchange ideas and explore potential collaborations. It successfully provided practical insights into sustainable innovation and encouraged active participation in shaping a resource-conscious future.

Meeting with Styrian Minister

19.05.2025, Graz, Austria (BNN)

Styrian Minister Willibald Ehrenhöfer invited Andreas Falk, CEO of BNN, to speak about the strategic importance of advanced/innovative materials, and BNN's key role in this field via the national ATIMA-project and the EC-funded project InnoMatSyn, both coordinated by BNN. Furthermore, circularity and the implementation of SSbD will be crucial to bring scientific findings to the benefit of society.

24 th nanoNET-Meeting

23.05.2025, Vienna, Austria (nanoNET-Austria)

The 24 th nanoNET-Austria Meeting took place on May 23 rd in the premises of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH in Vienna. We are very grateful for the hospitality of the AIT and were able to present a varied and interesting lecture program.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mario Grünberg from Silicon Austria Labs GmbH explained research in the field of quantum sensing, thus introducing a new area of nanotechnology. Stefan Schrittwieser from AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH continued with a presentation on the development of special nanoparticles for biomedical imaging. The new application of nano-porous particles for biotechnology and biomedicine was presented by Verena Lipic from Technische Universität Graz. Georg Jakopic from Joanneum Research GmbH concluded the technical block with a presentation on the pilot line to produce nanostructures on large-area substrates.

Current topics and activities of the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure in the field of production technologies by Alexander Pogany and a report from the nanoNET-Austria network with an outlook on the planned events, particularly the planned presentations at international trade fairs by Rudolf Heer, concluded the lecture block.

Participants enjoyed a guided tour through the laboratories of Molecular Diagnostics of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH.

Lightweight construction study trip to Sweden

25-29.05.2025, Sweden (Business Upper Austria)

The A2LT PhD study trip to Sweden offered a packed and inspiring program, providing deep insights into cutting-edge lightweighting and advanced manufacturing technologies. Highlights included site visits to GKN Aerospace, Production Technology Center, University West, and RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, where participants explored innovations in additive manufacturing, hybrid joining, and sustainable materials. At Chalmers University of Technology and Volvo Cars, the group delved into materials science applications, structural performance, and real-world industrial challenges. At KTH Royal Institute of Technology, the group got to meet also the KTH Formula Student Team, followed by a visit at Scania and the Austrian Embassy in Stockholm. The program fostered valuable exchange with leading researchers, engineers, and institutions, strengthening international collaboration and the LIGHTer PhD network. Despite the rainy weather, the atmosphere throughout the trip was energizing and forward-looking, leaving participants with new perspectives and strong connections.

Role of BNN in ATIMA:

Coordination, Roadmap development, AdMacommunity building, international representation, Communication & Dissemination

Contact

Clemens Wolf BioNanoNet Forschungsgesellschaft mbH

info@atima.at www.atima.at

The FFG is the central national funding organisation and strengthens Austria’s innovative power. This project is funded by the FFG, project n° FO999919580.

HARMLESS Final Webinar

HARMLESS major achievement–Using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in the Safe and Sustainable Innovation Approach (SSIA )

More than 90 people attended the final webinar organised by the H2020 project HARMLESS on 11 March 2025, marking the culmination of four years of groundbreaking work in developing a Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) approach for Advanced Materials (AdMa) in product development.

Under the title “HARMLESS major achievements – Using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in the Safe and Sustainable Innovation Approach (SSIA)”, the webinar showcased the key outcomes of the project, with a special focus on the HARMLESS SSIA and its innovative Decision Support System (DSS). In addition, the webinar featured dynamic pitch presen -

tations of selected project results, offering a comprehensive view of the progress made in the past four years (e.g., high throughput in vitro toxicity screening, proteomics, in vivo predictive NAM modelling, ecotoxicity, solutions for integration, analysis and visualization of large data sets, and the Early Warning System (EWS) for regulatory preparedness). The applicability of the HARMLESS SSIA was verified with four real-world industry case studies.

The webinar was targeted to all interested parties willing to get more insight into the HARMLESS project, primarily consultancy companies working in the SSbD field for advanced (nano)materials, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and large industry developing products containing AdMa, as well as researchers working on safety and sustainability of AdMA and all people potentially interested in using the HARMLESS tools.

After an overview of the major results by project coordinator Otmar Schmid (HMGU) ranging from Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment (IATAs) and the role of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs), over important contributions to harmonization of test methods, to the creation of the largest publicly available in vivo anchored dataset on industrial relevant AdMa (and related benchmark materials), Blanca Suárez Merino (TEMASOL) & Susan Dekkers (TNO) presented the HARMLESS SSIA and user-friendly DSS, respectively. Dynamic pitch presentations of specific HARMLESS results followed:

 Roland Grafström (KI) presented on the HARMLESS tiered approach for hazard assessment of advanced materials with a focus on high-throughput in vitro toxicity screening and omics-based AOP (adverse outcome pathway) anchoring analysis.

 Verónica Dumit (BfR) showed the analytical adaptation of a proteomic protocol designed to accelerate reliable measurements in a cost-effective manner for toxicological screenings. The advanced protocol has been optimized for both in vivo and in vitro samples, enabling omics data integration and facilitating the correlation between in vitro and in vivo results.

 Agnieszka Gajewicz-Skretna (UG) described key elements of the extensive body of in vivo predictive NAM modelling. These efforts included derivation of more than 1000 molecular predictors per AdMa and validation of more than 100 models for prediction of in vivo toxicity from the large body of in vivo- anchored HARMLESS NAM data.

 Anders Baun (DTU) presented a summary of the ecotoxicity studies performed in HARMLESS. They were directed towards method development and testing of the persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity of nanomaterials. A novel “pointof-entry” approach for AdMa bioaccumulation testing was introduced, and the findings were linked to the HARMLESS SSbD approach.

 Nina Jeliazkova (IDEA) presented the eNanoMapper database, which ensures well-documented, structured, and interoperable data for AdMa by providing tools for co-creating data entry templates and integrating extensive physicochemical, in vitro, in vivo, and in silico data. It aims to enable researchers to create FAIR datasets, store them in any repository, and transform complex data into reusable insights, models, and predictions.

 Andrea Haase (BfR) summarised the key achievements of the project from a (pre-) regulatory perspective. The HARMLESS early warning system (EWS), which is closely aligned with the HARMLESS DSS, is a practically applicable tool for screening of materials in the context of a pre-regulatory assessment to effectively support regulatory preparedness. It is organized in two tiers (Tier 0: Categorization; Tier 1: Screening), each underpinned by a specific methodology and facilitated by a dedicated online tool. Its relevance for OECD activities towards regulatory preparedness for AdMa is currently under consideration.

To foster collaboration and deeper discussions, the webinar participants joined interac-

tive breakout rooms focused on the specific topics and results previously presented. This allowed for direct and meaningful exchange of thoughts and practical insights.

The SSIA/DSS breakout group started with a poll for participants to choose a “favorite” topic or tool within the DSS. A presentation followed by TNO on the tools available from the DSS. Eugene van Someren (TNO) showed the participants how the DSS guides the user to the tools throughout the different innovation stages, covering performance, exposure, hazard, and sustainability aspects. Participants were encouraged to register under the Diamonds Platform for a test trial.

The webinar ended with an outlook to the future perspectives of the project which included information on an upcoming OECD workshop on leveraging the HARMLESS EWS for pre-regulatory assessment of AdMa, the proposed path towards harnessing AdMa stratification in different AOPs for mechanistic clustering of AdMa, and an invitation to consider using the tools provided by HARMLESS.

The participants of this workshop represented a wide range of stakeholder groups, including

the scientific community (52%), SMEs (12%), large industry (14%), SSbD consultants (9%), and regulators (5%) (see graphics below for more details).

All webinar material (presentations, recording and agenda ) are publicly available here (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15196793) under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

Role of BNN in HARMLESS:

Safe Innovation Approach, Stakeholder engagement, Graphic Design, Communication & Dissemination

Contact

Beatriz Alfaro Serrano beatriz.alfaro@bnn.at www.harmless-project.eu

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement n° 953183.

HARMLESS Releases Factsheet on Decision Support System for SSbD of AdMa

The EU H2020 project HARMLESS develops a novel, multifaceted Safe Innovation Approach to complex multi-component nanomaterials and High Aspect Ratio Nanoparticles (MCNM & HARNs) by integrating a toolbox of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), which can test key properties according to latest scientific insights into MCNM & HARNs.

To support the practical implementation of the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach in industrial innovation involving advanced materials (AdMa), the HARMLESS project has developed a Decision Support System (DSS) tailored for MCNMs and HARNs.

This factsheet gives an overview of the HARMLESS SSbD-DSS, with background information, explaining the online tools within the DSS, highlighting for whom it has been developed and which are the main benefits of using it for the decision making at different innovation stages in industrial processes.

In HARMLESS, the work on the DSS has been coordinated by the partner TNO. The factsheet has been created by HARMLESS C&D manager, BNN.

This document is available in the HARMLESS Community in Zenodo under DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15356395.

IRISS, the International Ecosystem for Accelerating the Transition to Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design Materials, Starts a New Chapter

The EU-funded project IRISS entered its final month in May. From June 2025 on a new phase begins – building the world’s largest international SSbD Community.

Since the project start, i.e., June 2022, IRISS project has been working towards its main goal: creating a viable community to accelerate the implementation of the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) concept in Europe and beyond. The project has delivered results that will lead to real progress and contribute to the future of sustainable innovation. All the partners of the project have focused on creating a forum for exchange of ideas and best practices, as a strong foundation for the broader adoption of SSbD.

During its three-year lifetime the project has organized over 25 workshops, 4 trainings and co-organisation of one summer school focused on SSbD and its implementation. The partners have co-developed, together with external stakeholders, the SSbD Roadmap. IRISS has released its findings in six scientific articles and over a dozen public reports, all of them available on the IRISS website.

In May 2024 the IRISS SSbD Community was officially launched, and invited the whole community interested in SSbD to become member of it. Currently this vibrant and international network already has over 500 members, learning and exchanging knowledge and solutions among them.

What comes next?

Although the project is concluding its phase the IRISS SSbD Community will continue and the next chapter is about expanding the network, deepening collaboration and pushing the implementation of SSbD forward. To do so, the IRISS SSbD Community needs to remain active and engaged. Therefore, IRISS needs also your support, your expertise and your commitment! If you are interested in continuing the SSbD journey with IRISS, become a member by registering yourself as part of the network and access the IRISS digital platform, the heart of the community were exchanges, trainings, workshops collaboration opportunities and much more happens!

Role of BNN in IRISS:

Core partner of the IRISS project. Stakeholder engagement and Communication & Dissemi -

nation lead. Connection to SusChem-AT and coordination of the Central-Western Region of SusChem NTPs. Contribution to the establishment of structure and service portfolio of the IRISS SSbD Community.

Contact

Johanna K. Scheper johanna.scheper@bnn.at

The project receives funding from the European Union’s HORIZON EUROPE research and innovation programme under grant agreement n° 101058245. UK participants in Project IRISS are supported by UKRI grant 10038816. CH participants in Project IRISS receive funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI).

The IRISS consortium at the 7th General Assembly.

BNN Interviews

Charite’s Fiorenza Rancan on Chronic Wounds

Background Interview with NABIHEAL’s Fiorenza Rancan

NABIHEAL is a Horizon Europe project that will develop multifunctional biomaterials to improve wound management. Within the project, partner Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin leads the work package in charge of the in vitro, ex vivo , and in vivo tests for the efficacy evaluation. Charité uses ex vivo wound infection models to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the new biomaterials developed during the project selected through in vitro antimicrobial and wound healing tests.

We sat down with Fiorenza Rancan, Senior Research Investigator at Charité in Berlin, to learn more about chronic wounds.

BNN: Although, we knew chronic wounds present a problem, we were taken aback to

hear about the actual incident rate. Yet it is still a problem that is seldom discussed in the media. Why is that?

People with chronic wounds often feel ashamed and prefer to avoid the subject. For the media, it may not be an attractive subject because there is no real breaking news about new therapies or insights into the mechanisms underlying the disease.

Nevertheless, the numbers of affected patients are growing: among patients over the age of 60, between 0.6-3 percent suffer from leg ulcers, while in the group over the age of 80 more than 5 percent are affected 1. In 2019, an average prevalence of 10% was reported for pressure ulcers in European hospitals2. Burns can also become chronic, especially when they get infected, which is the case in approximately 30% of burn patients 3 .

Fiorenza Rancan (second from right), Annika Vogt (right) and the NABIHEAL team

One of the main reasons for this increase is that the average age of the world's population is rising and the rates of conditions such as diabetes, venous insufficiency and immobility increase in the older population.

The economic burden for the patients and the healthcare system is increasing too. Thus, more awareness is needed. For example, the prevention of wounds or wound infection is certainly an important aspect that should receive more attention in the media. It is of particular importance to provide information and raise awareness among those patients who are predisposed to developing chronic wounds, e.g. immunocompromised and diabetic patients.

Can you describe what leads to chronic wounds?

A chronic wound is a wound in which the healing process is either arrested or significantly delayed as a result of a general alteration of the wound environment and of one or more of the several processes contributing to the healing process. In acute wounds, damage is repaired by a variety of cell types that are activated by a well-balanced proliferative environment, which is rich in nutrients, growth factors, and other signalling molecules. These cells build new tissue and a new skin barrier while

the immune system is tasked with preventing the eventual invasion of microorganisms.

If the wound environment is altered due to the absence of essential nutrients and vital signals and the inflammation continues due to the persistence of microorganisms and biofilm, then the repair process will be either impaired, leading to scarification, or delayed.

Are there reasons that make people more prone to chronic wounds?

Patients with pathologies that lead to damage to the blood vessels (arteries and veins), which are responsible for the correct perfusion of blood to and from the skin, are predisposed to developing chronic wounds.

Venous insufficiency is characterised by reduced blood flow in the lower legs, which results in a lack of adequate nutrient supply to the skin. This leads to the development of fragile skin tissue, increasing the risk of developing chronic wounds.

Diabetes is associated with the generation of free radicals, which in turn leads to damage to both peripheral nerves and blood vessels. As a

Schematic drawing of a chronic wound with different species of bacteria heterogeneously distributed in various sizes of biofilms and as single cells from the top to the deeper layers of the wound. These figures were created using Biorender.com and are courtesy of the Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen.

immune system or even with fibroblasts, which are key cells in the wound healing process.

Can you explain the role of biofilm in chronic wounds?

consequence, skin becomes more fragile and it is more susceptible to wounds, particularly at the ankle and foot sole level.

Pressure ulcers are the result of damage to tissue and vessels caused by pressure, which is mainly the consequence of prolonged periods of immobility.

All these conditions are widespread in the population over the age of 60 and their prevalence increases with age.

Immunosuppression is another important aspect. Patients treated with immunosuppressive drugs such as corticosteroids or antirheumatic drugs suffer from delayed wound healing. Oncology patients also have a predisposition to get chronic wounds due to the negative effects of radiation therapy or anticancer drugs that can interfere with the cells of the

Microorganisms have the tendency to attach to surfaces, aggregate, and build a slimy matrix that protects them from the environment and the immune system. Such a microorganism community is called biofilm. Biofilms are widespread in nature and can be found for example on rocks, water pipes, washing machines. In the medical setting, they are found on catheters, implants or teeth, etc. and in approximately 80% of chronic wounds. They are very persistent and can negatively impact the wound healing. If they are not removed, they can cause severe infections. The biofilm is typically treated by repeated irrigation of the wound with disinfectants and surgical removal of fibrin, debris, and infected tissue by a technique called debridement. The development of better methods for preventing or removing biofilm in the wound bed is of crucial importance in modern wound management.

There seems to be a lack of knowledge among not-specialized healthcare workers about how to deal with chronic wounds. Is wound healing and wound care an especially difficult subject in medicine?

Patients with chronic wounds have complex underlying clinical patterns. Wounds can have different aetiologies, and different stages of healing and tissue environments must be recognised within the same wound.

Chronic wound infection, CLSM, 63x, S. aureus. Courtesy of the Costerton Biofilm Center, University of Copenhagen.

However, there is also a lack of knowledge that is not due to the difficulty of the subject. The main problem is that chronic wounds do not fit to any specific field of medicine and, thus, for years there were no specific courses for physicians and nurses to train and get certified on this subject. In the last years this has improved, especially thanks to wound care societies, but there is still more room for improvement.

Tell us about the most common wound healing materials available currently – and what made you and your team want to develop something better?

A wide variety of materials are used in wound healing. Most of the currently used dressings aim at maintaining a moist environment and at managing the wound exudate. Films, foams, hydrocolloid dressings, hydrogels, alginate dressings are used for this purpose. Other

dressings improve the healing process thanks to antioxidative or matrix-building molecules. One dressing may be preferred over another depending on the type of wound or the stage of wound healing.

Controlling wound bacteria is also critical. If the bacterial count is low and there are no symptoms, a wound is said to be colonised. Conversely, if the bacteria count is high and there are symptoms such as redness, swelling, pain or fever, the wound is considered infected. Such a wound, or any wound at risk of infection, should be treated with an anti-microbial agent.

However, in many chronic wounds, systemic antibiotic treatment is not effective due to poor blood circulation and tissue perfusion. Local antimicrobial treatments are therefore necessary. Silver dressings or antimicrobial wound gels are commonly used. However,

Schematic image of wound healing process with NABIHEAL multifunctional biomaterals.

such treatments are not free of side effects and may slow down the wound healing process.

Within NABIHEAL, our team aims to develop wound treatments that can improve the different aspects of the wound healing process by simultaneously preventing wound colonisation and/or infection. Antimicrobial agents are often toxic to both bacteria and human cells. A treatment with preferential antimicrobial effect with low cell toxicity holds the promise to improve the outcome of chronic wounds.

If the wound healing materials developed in NABIHEAL are successful, what kind of impact will this have – for clinicians as well as patients?

NABIHEAL is developing new materials for the management of different types of chronic and complex wounds at all stages of the wound healing process. All of these different dressings will have additional antimicrobial activity to control wound colonisation and prevent wound infection. If successful, these dressings will give clinicians further options in the management of chronic wounds, particularly in terms of infection prevention.

To learn more about the outcomes of NABIHEAL, view our website and follow us on LinkedIn !

References

1 Rayner R., Carville K., Keaton J., Prentice J., and Santamaria X. N., Leg ulcers: atypical presentations and associated co-morbidities, Wound Practice and Research. (2009) 17, no. 4, 168–185.

2 Moore, Zena, et al. "The prevalence of pressure ulcers in Europe, what does the European data tell us: a systematic review." Journal of wound care 28.11 (2019): 710-719.

3 Mayhall CG. The epidemiology of burn wound infections: then and now. Clin Infect Dis. 2003 ;37(4):543-50. doi: 10.1086/376993

Role of BNN in NABIHEAL:

SSbD concept & guidelines, Dissemination, Communication & Stakeholder Involvement

Contact

Johanna K. Scheper johanna.scheper@bnn.at nabiheal.eu

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement n° 101092269. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

NABIHEAL’s SSbD Concept at NanoMed Europe

From 27-30 May 2025, BNN’s Johanna K. Scheper and Daniel Garcia were able to present the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design approach that is under implementation in NABIHEAL to the community at NanoMed Europe (NME2025) in Barcelona.

Co-organized by the European Technology Platform of Nanomedicine (ETPN), the Institute of Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), and Nanomed Spain (the Spanish Technological Platform of Nanomedicine), NanoMed Europe 2025 offered a rich program of scientific lectures and sessions focused on translating innovations in the nanomedicine field to the clinic, from medical devices to nanopharmaceuticals.

Within the EU-funded project NABIHEAL, focused on the development of alternative metal-free wound dressings with antimicrobial and wound-healing activity, BNN leads the task of implementation of the Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) approach for all (nano)materials and processes developed within the project. The methodology applied by the project advances scientific knowledge and innovation and upholds principles crucial for safe and sustainable biomedical research by integrating SSbD principles throughout the whole innovation process. The approach of this work covers project-tailored SSbD implementation, following a tiered and hierarchical approach aligned with the JRC SSbD framework. Tailored questionnaires on (i) materials used/ produced and (ii) for production and manufacturing processes have been developed at the

start of the project and are implemented and reviewed at different times during the project lifetime. The approach includes the formulation of specific recommendations to follow as well as comparison to standard-of-care wound care materials.

Furthermore, BNN serves as NABIHEAL’s Work Package Lead for WP8: Dissemination, Communication & Stakeholder Involvement, which entails creation of the project branding, website, printed materials, and maintaining the social media accounts. BNN guides partners in disseminating project results.

Contact Johanna K. Scheper johanna.scheper@bnn.at nabiheal.eu

From left: Daniel Garcia and Johanna K. Scheper of BNN

PEARL-Mat Introduced to Students of Engineering

On 3 June 2025, TU Wien, IEEE Austria

Section, IEEE Student Branch Vienna and BNN joined forces for a special student workshop “Engineering the future of electronics with 2D materials: From cutting-edge research to industry applications,” in Vienna.

2D materials have recently gained traction in research communities worldwide due to their unique physical and chemical properties, surpassing those of bulk materials used in many applications. Notable examples include their high charge carrier mobility, which enhances device performance, or their ultrathin structure, opening the door to scalability. These properties allow researchers to overcome limitations in traditional bulk materials and unlock new possibilities for further miniaturization.

From synthesis to characterization and integration, the entire pipeline was presented by leading international experts, including Florian Libisch and Dmitry Polyushkin of TU Wien and Luca Banszerus of the University of Vienna, alongside BNN’s Matiss Reinfelds. Matiss introduced the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework along with exam -

ples of projects supporting its implementation—such as PLANETS, SSbD4CheM, SESAM, and PHASE5. In addition, for the 2D materials research community, he highlighted the relevance of stakeholder-aligned initiatives like InnoMatSyn and ATIMA, as well as the PEARLMat project, coordinated by AC2T. This project focuses on 2D/2D+ hybrid materials and engineered living materials, aiming to develop a comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge map of their synthesis, properties, functionalities, applications and impacts, to identify knowledge gaps and foster opportunities for Austrian science and industry.

This workshop offered attendees the opportunity to learn about the groundbreaking potential of 2D materials as they revolutionize electronics and quantum technologies. Cutting-edge discussion topics included 3D integration of 2D CMOS circuits, single-photon emitters in strained 2D semiconductors and quantum dots in graphene. Finally, the industrial perspectives were addressed, highlighting current barriers and approaches for enabling widespread adoption. A buffet provided an informal setting to engage with peers and speakers.

Contact

Mattis Reinfelds matiss.reinfelds@bnn.at projekte.ffg.at/projekt/5132299

The FFG is the central national funding organisation and strengthens Austria’s innovative power. This project is funded by the FFG, project n° 58025459.

PHOENIX Rises at NanoMed Europe Satellite Event

Companies developing nanopharmaceuticals face an especially steep innovation “valley of death”. What if there was a single entry point offering services and expertise, creating a bridge to carry the innovation over the valley and to the market? The consortium behind PHOENIX-OITB has answered that question.

The H2020-funded project PHOENIX-OITB is coming to an end this year, but the PHOENIX SEP, a single entry point for nanopharmaceutical innovation, is on the rise. On 30 May 2025, stakeholders and interested parties from nanomedicine, pharma and biotech were invited to a workshop held as a satellite event to NanoMed Europe 2025 in Barcelona and online. The hybrid workshop introduced audiences to the services offered by the PHOENIX service providers, shared success stories from this collaboration, and outlined the future of PHOENIX.

Participants enjoyed time for networking before and after the event.

Program:

 Setting the Scene for Scale: Boosting Nanomedicine for GMP Translation

Speaker : Dr. Jesus M. de la Fuente, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

 Insights from the PHOENIX Project: Powering Nanopharmaceuticals from Innovation to Implementation

Speaker : Dr. Tommaso Serchi, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)

 Innovation to Implementation: Success Stories from the PHOENIX GMP Journey

PACAB demo case: Andreas Åslund, NaDeNo Nanoscience PHOENIX-OITB

BEACONS demo case : Prof. Dr. Mangala Srinivas, Wageningen University

 PHOENIX SEP Rising: GMP Fast Track for Innovative Pharmaceuticals

Speaker: Dr. Nazende Günday-Türeli, PHOENIX OITB gGmbH

Johanna K. Scheper and Daniel Garcia of BNN attended the event.

About PHOENIX OITB

PHOENIX OITB (Pharmaceutical Open Innovation Test Bed) is an EU-funded Horizon 2020 project (Grant agreement no. 953110) designed to accelerate the translation of nanopharmaceutical innovations from research laboratories to clinical validation. PHOENIX OITB has created a fully integrated network of top-tier facilities and expertise across Europe, providing essential services such as physicochemical characterization, GMP manufacturing, and regulatory support. By reducing barriers to innovation, PHOENIX OITB facilitates market entry and scale-up of groundbreaking nanomedicine products. Discover more on the PHOENIX OITB website .

About PHOENIX SEP (Single Entry Point)

PHOENIX SEP (Single Entry Point) is the dedicated operational entity emerging from the

PHOENIX OITB initiative. PHOENIX SEP acts as a centralized, commercial gateway, offering comprehensive support for nanopharmaceutical development. From initial characterization and formulation to full GMP-compliant manufacturing, quality control, and regulatory strategy, PHOENIX SEP ensures seamless, highquality services through a single dedicated point of contact, streamlining the journey of innovative therapeutics from bench to bedside. Explore services on the PHOENIX SEP website

Role of BNN in PHOENIX:

Business Development and overall sustainability of the OITB, Graphic Design, Communication & Dissemination

Contact

Caitlin Ahern caitlin.ahern@bnn.at phoenix-oitb.eu

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement n° 953110.

PLANETS Strategy for Implementation of SSbD in the Industry journey

PLANETS aims to encourage the careful development of new alternatives in chemicals, products and processes to ensure safety and sustainability throughout their entire life cycle, achieving buy-in from a variety of stakeholders along the way.

To achieve these objectives, PLANETS is based not only on the SSbD framework promoted by the JRC and the European Commission, but also on industry initiatives such as the WBCSD PSA v2.02 and the CEFIC guideline. By com -

bining these perspectives, PLANETS aims to strengthen the integration of SSbD from the early stages of development, ensuring global acceptance and facilitating smoother implementation. The cornerstone of the PLANETS methodology is the synergy between SSbD experts and industry partners. Throughout the project's lifecycle, industrial development will be followed by SSbD assessments, which will evolve in complexity to align with the maturity of the alternatives.

This support is reflected in the implementation of the PLANETS workflow, which integrates industrial challenges with the SSbD methodology, ensuring alignment between the increasing maturity of alternatives and the need for SSbD assessments. The PLANETS workflow covers all five SSbD dimensions (Hazard, Exposure, Environmental, Economic, and Social) and tailors the expertise to the specific needs of each case study (Surfactants, Flame Retardants, and Plasticizers), from the early stages through to final use, including end-of-life/recycling. Another key feature of the PLANETS workflow is its tiered approach, which aligns the maturity of alternatives with the data requirements for SSbD assessments.

At an early stage, the simplified tier assessment plays an important role and provides the basis for identifying potential impacts and risks. This allows designers to address key sustainability and safety issues before they become embedded in the design. However, the impact of simplified evaluations is limited by the lack of detailed data, which can make it challenging to assess the full extent of safety, environmental, economic, and social impacts.

As the design progresses, intermediate and full tier evaluations become more detailed and provide a clearer understanding of these impacts. While simplified tier provides flexibility to address broad concerns, the increasing availability of data in later tiers allows for more precise and effective impact assessments. The trade-off is that early evaluations, while impactful, are constrained by the lack of comprehensive information, which can sometimes hinder the depth of the assessment. Thus, the increasing flexibility in later tiers increases the ability to mitigate risks more effectively as data becomes more robust and specific.

The flexibility within this tiered approach allows for continuous refinement as new data becomes available or as the design evolves. As the assessment progresses through the tiers, potential impacts are better understood and mitigated, ensuring that sustainability and safety goals are met without compromising the overall design evolution.

Finally, for PLANETS, the key to the successful implementation of the SSbD strategy in the industrial pathway lies in the complementarity between SSbD experts and industrial partners. This collaboration will foster a better understanding of the challenges to be addressed through a step-by-step approach that aligns with ongoing developments, ensuring a level of agility throughout the process.

View our new folder here!

Role of BNN in PLANETS:

SSbD, Communication & Dissemination, Stakeholder Engagement, Graphic Design and Training

Contact

Joséphine Steck

CEA Liten

josephine.steck@cea.fr www.project-planets.eu

PLANETS project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement n° 101177608. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

PLANETS Publishes Training Materials on SSbD scoping and Tier 1 Assessments

On 5 March 2025, PLANETS consortium organised their first internal online training session on PLANETS’ Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) workflow, with a primary focus on scoping. The training aimed to harmonize the consortium’s understanding of SSbD, particularly among innovators and industrial partners who are not directly involved in the project.

Building on the insights from this internal training, PLANETS has developed external training materials to facilitate SSbD scoping following the PLANETS SSbD workflow. These materials include:

 Recording on policy background and SSbD basics

 Recording on scoping actions

 Recording introducing the PLANETS SSbD workflow, along with a practical exercise using the JRC gasket plasticiser case from the SSbD stakeholder engagement phase

 Workshop presentation slides

 Case description detailing the JRC gasket plasticiser background

 Guiding questions and practical exercise worksheet listing potential solutions within the PLANETS SSbD workflow

On 20 March 2025 an internal training for PLANETS WP4 partners took place on Safeand-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) and Tier 1

assessments, aligned with a Flame Retardant (FR) case study Workshop, in the headquarters of Steinbacher in Erpfendorf (Austria).

Building on the insights from this internal training, PLANETS has developed external training materials for conducting SSbD Tier 1 assessment following the PLANETS SSbD Workflow. These materials include:

 Workshop presentation slides

 Recording of the workshop

 Questionnaire with guiding questions within the PLANETS SSbD workflow for conduct of the Tier 1 SSbD assessment

All training materials are available in the PLANETS community on Zenodo under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence, allowing for redistribution and reuse with proper credit to the creators. You can access them on the PLANETS website here .

Training at Steinbacher

SSbD4CheM Project Innovations in the Textiles, Cosmetic and Automotive Sectors

The Horizon Europe project SSbD4CheM recently published their first innovation paper. Under the title “SSbD4CheM project innovations in the textiles, cosmetic and automotive sectors”, this publication explains the latest innovation developments carried out in the project, related to Safe-and-Sustainableby-Design (SSbD) applied to different case studies and applications, involving advanced materials, mixtures, polymers, nanoforms and formulations.

The strategic objective of the Safe and sustainable by design of next generation chemicals and materials (SSbD4CheM) project is to develop screening and testing strategies for

a variety of substances and materials to ensure safer and more sustainable products in line with the Sustainable Products Initiative. SSbD4CheM is focusing on chemical safety using new approach methods, including in vitro studies without animal models and in silico tools. Additionally, it integrates environmental sustainability for the implementation of the SSbD framework including risk assessment and ex-ante life cycle assessment. New methods and models for safety and sustainability assessment along chemical, material and product life cycles will be developed, validated, and applied to three case studies, including biobased self-cleaning, water repellent, and antimicrobial treatments for textiles, nanocellulose as an additive in cosmetics, and microcellulose composites for the automotive industry. By employing a multidisciplinary strategy, SSbD4CHeM addresses key challenges in material innovation, ensuring regulatory compliance while reducing hazards to environmental and human health. The project will accelerate the development of next-generation sustainable materials, promoting industry innovation, regulatory progress, and improved consumer safety. Ultimately, SSbD4CheM aims to establish a new benchmark for the development of chemicals and materials that conform to safety and sustainability goals.

BNN is proud to have Beatriz Alfaro Serrano as co-author of this innovation report and partner in this very innovative project!

Read the whole publication:

Bhat, M.A., Radu, T., Martín-Fabiani, I., Kolokathis, P.D., Papadiamantis, A.G., Wagner, S., Kohl, Y., Witters, H., Gebbink, W. A., Pareja Rodriguez, Y., Cardelini, G., Degens, R., Burzic, I., Alfaro Serrano, B., Pretschuh, C., Santamaría-Aranda, E., Contreras-García, E., Sinic, J., Jocham, C., Cohen, D., Maor, Z., Assis, A., Panák, O., Novak, U., Hans, S., Biesemeier, A., Camilleri, P., Pérez Sánchez, F., Arblaster, T., Thonemann, N., Guinée, J., Pipino, A., Çelen, O., Alwe, H., Drexel, R., Welz, R., Meier, F., Piragyte-Langa Oliva, I., Tagorti, G., Hardy, B., Velimirovic, M. (2025). Safe and sustainable by design of next generation chemicals and materials: SSbD4CheM project innovations in the textiles, cosmetic and automotive sectors. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal – NanoScience & Advanced Materials. DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2025.03.022 .

Role of BNN in SSbD4CheM:

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement n° 101138475. UK participants in SSbD4CheM project are supported by UKRI. CH participants in SSbD4CheM project receive funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Communication & Dissemination, Stakeholder Engagement, Graphic Design and Training Contact

Beatriz Alfaro Serrano beatriz.alfaro@bnn.at www.ssbd4chem.eu

Meet the People Behind SSbD4CheM!

SSbD4CheM is an EU-funded Horizon Europe project working to introduce screening and testing methods for safe and sustainable material development in three relevant demonstrators: the textile, automotive and cosmetics industries. The project aims to meet the EU’s strategic objectives for digital, enabling, and emerging technologies, sectors, and value chains by developing a comprehensive Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework that uses new science-based approaches to identify and address potential hazards and risks, and innovative technologies to support the design of safer and more sustainable products and processes.

Get to know a few of our Work Package leaders by reading these interviews!

Wouter Gebbink, VITO

Wouter Gebbink is an Exposure Scientist at VITO, an independent Flemish research organisation in the area of cleantech and sustainable development in Mol (Antwerp, Belgium). Within SSbD4CheM, he is leading the work package dealing with the exposure assessment and risk management of chemicals.

BNN: Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your area of expertise?

I am trained as an analytical and environmental chemist studying the fate of chemicals in the environment. In recent years I have expanded my expertise by focusing more on using in silico methods to assess the exposure of chemicals to workers, consumers and the environment to evaluate potential risk.

How does your specific work package “Exposure assessment / risk management” contribute to the project?

Within this work package we are assessing the potential risk of the chemicals that are being evaluated as replacement chemicals in the products covered by the three case studies. We are working closely together with other work packages that e.g., generate experimental data that can be used in the exposure assessment, or with the industry partners in order to develop relevant exposure scenarios. Combining the input from the other work pa -

Ivana Burzic, Wood K plus

Ivana Burzic is Project Leader at Wood K plus, a research organisation in the field of wood and wood-related renewable resources in Linz, Austria. Within SSbD4CheM, she leads the work package dealing with the development and validation of novel materials

ckages allow us to perform the exposure and risk assessments.

What is the most exciting thing about the activities in your work package?

In this work package we are generating data ensuring fewer emissions of chemicals from the products being developed resulting in reduced exposure and/or risk of the chemicals to humans and the environment, making them safer alternatives.

From your point of view, who can benefit the most from the project?

By the end of the project, I think the consumer of the products as well as the environment will benefit. The idea behind the implementation of the SSbD framework into product design is to replace chemicals by alternatives that are less harmful and result in lower risk to the consumer. By having reduced emissions or using less harmful chemicals not only the consumers face lower risk but the environment as well.

for the three case studies, with fulfilled sustainability and safety aspects.

BNN: Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your area of expertise?

I have many years of experience in researching thermoplastic-based materials/formulation development and their application to various polymer processing technologies. I hold a position at Wood K plus R&D Center (Austria) as International Project Manager in the Bio-ba -

sed Composites and Processes (BCP) team. Previously, I studied Organic Chemistry and Polymer Engineering from the University of Belgrade (Serbia), and I’m interested in sustainable and circular materials for different application areas. Before joining Wood K plus, I spent 3 years at the Johannes Kepler University (Austria) at the Institute of Polymer Extrusion and Compounding, where I worked closely with students as a research associate. During this time, I enjoyed teaching students about plastic welding. I really love teaching young people, especially children, how we can change the future by having good habits and acting responsibly.

How does your specific work package “SSbD driven R&D of novel materials and Demonstration of Industrial Assay” contribute to the project?

This work package plays an important role as it develops novel renewable composites with optimised Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC) emissions and odour for automotive applications, PFAS-free coatings for textile applications and investigates different types of nanocellulose as a sustainable additive in cosmetics in the light of the implementation of the SSbD framework. In order to fully exploit the potential benefits that innovative SSbD4CheM materials can offer, it is essential to prioritise safety aspects in conjunction with sustainability considerations. Therefore, by applying different steps of the SSbD Framework considering

different SSbD4CheM use cases, the work package will work closely with partners from other WPs to integrate functionality/innovation with safety and sustainability considerations as early as possible in the innovation process at TRL3/4 (R&D development process), thus saving costs towards their market introduction.

What is the most exciting thing about the activities in your work package?

Collaboration with international teams as well as close collaboration with industrial partners (representatives of Stellantis Group, AHAVA and KORTEKS) to address different, sometimes complex issues related to the various use case requirements.

From your point of view, who can benefit the most from the project?

We must prioritise safety alongside sustainability, integrating both as early as possible in the development process.

Compounders, converters for automotive sector, textile industry in general, cosmetic industry (outcomes from non-animal testing), SSbD community (learnings from concrete industrial case studies), textile companies, consumers/ end users (car users, people in general from all 3 case studies), regulatory bodies (outcomes in respect to SSbD testing, non-animal testing), policy makers (outcomes in respect to SSbD testing, non-animal testing), industry in general how to apply SSbD Framework, etc. – all of these people will benefit from our findings.

Fruela Pérez Sánchez, ITENE research center

Fruela Pérez Sánchez is Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) specialist at ITENE research center, a technological center in R&D in packaging, logistics, transport and mobility in Valencia, Spain. Within SSbD4CheM, he is leading the work package dealing with the sustainability assessment across the LCA.

cess development for the three case studies (automotive, textiles and cosmetics).

What is the most exciting thing about the activities in your work package?

BNN: Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your area of expertise?

Fruela Pérez Sánchez: My professional expertise is in sustainability, with a strong focus on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Footprint calculations. I specialise in conducting LCA studies, identifying key areas of environmental impact and developing strategies to reduce emissions and resource consumption. I have an academic background in Industrial Chemical Engineering, complemented by a Masters in Environmental Engineering.

How does your specific work package “Sustainability assessment across the life cycle assessment” contribute to the project?

This work package plays a key role in ensuring that the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework is based on robust ex-ante LCA methodologies, enabling early environmental assessment of next generation chemicals and materials before they reach commercialisation. By improving LCA scenario modelling, uncertainty analysis and socioeconomic sustainability assessment, WP6 will support decision making in product and pro -

From my point of view, applying these sustainability assessment methodologies to real case studies—such as PFAS-free coatings for textiles, cellulose nanofibers in cosmetics, and renewable composites for the automotive industry—makes our work highly impactful. By bridging science, industry, and policy, our WP ensures that new materials and processes are not only technically feasible but also environmentally responsible, economically viable, and socially acceptable from the very beginning.

From your point of view, who can benefit the most from the project?

From my perspective, the primary beneficiaries of the SSbD4CheM project are chemical manufacturers and downstream industries that depend on access to safer and more sustainable materials. These stakeholders will be able to use the project’s tools to design products with lower environmental and health risks, allowing them to innovate while staying aligned with evolving EU regulations. In parallel, regulators and policymakers will benefit from the project by gaining access to scientifically robust methodologies and transparent data that support more informed, evidence-based decision-making. Ultimately, society as a whole stand to gain through the reduced environmental footprint and improved human health outcomes associated with the development and adoption of safer chemical innovation.

Outlook

NSC/PLANETS workshop: SSbD scenarios for advanced materials

23 June 2025 | 12:00-15:00 CEST | Online

Not all innovation scenarios in SMEs and industry are the same. Current JRC SSbD guidance as well as PSA / Cefic concepts leave room for tailoring the SSbD approach within a tiered framework. Scenarios support the tailoring, such that SSbD is not just another burden, but increases overall competitiveness.

How should one describe a scenario, and which tailored approach fits? These are the leading questions for a first NSC workshop (June 2025) and second NSC workshop (September/October 2025), respectively.

The June workshop shall test aspects that describe the scenario by knowledge that is BNN EVENTS & EVENTS SUPPORTED BY BNN

available at early innovation stages, on the example of real-world cases kindly provided by innovators from the EU-funded projects AlChemiSSts, DESIDERATA, PLANETS and SUNRISE. Shortlisted aspects include the professional environment (start-up, SME or industry), the sector of application (B2B vs B2C), the innovative height (incremental or advanced), R&D project budget, and other aspects that would be known to the innovator before starting any lab work. The cases are currently being prepared to enable joint discussion and modification in the workshop.

The follow-up and second workshop will distil “archetypical SSbD scenarios” & their tailored SSbD approaches.

Register here

European Researchers’ Night 2025

26 September 2025 | Graz, Austria and all over Europe!

European Researchers‘ Night is one of the largest research events in Europe and takes

place each year in around 400 different European cities simultaneously. Join us in Graz –or wherever you’re located!

More information

BioNanoNet Annual Forum: Efficient and Sustainable Industries and Production – Transferring Know-How to the Life Sciences Sector

7 October 2025 | Linz, Austria

We’re excited to invite you to our Annual Forum — where innovation meets application!

Under the theme “Efficient and Sustainable Industries and Production – Transferring Know-How to the Life Sciences Sector”, this year’s event will spotlight how cutting-edge technologies and sustainable industrial practices are being successfully applied in the life sciences field.

We’re preparing an engaging program featuring:

 Site tours to our co-hosts RECENDT, WOOD K plus, and CHASE

 A Life Sciences session

 A Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) session

 An interactive networking session, where each participant will have 30 seconds to pitch their expertise and explore collaboration opportunities

Please also remember to participate in the back2back event “3rd Austrian Life Science Day”, on 8 October 2025, also in Linz!

Stay tuned — the full program, registration details, and more information will be available soon !

3 rd Austrian Life Science Day in Linz

8 October 2025 | 9:30-17:00 | Linz, Austria

The medical technology and life sciences industry faces an important challenge: balancing sustainability and innovation. How can we use environmentally friendly materials and conserve resources while meeting the highest quality and safety standards?

Look forward to high-profile keynote speeches, surprising best practice examples and valuable ideas for implementation in your company or healthcare facility.

Network with decision-makers from the medtech and life sciences industry, leading medi -

cal device manufacturers, product developers, research institutions, healthcare facilities and service providers, suppliers, material manufacturers, regulatory authorities and funding agencies from all over Austria, as well as international delegations.

The 3 rd Austrian Life Science Day is organised by the Upper Austria Medical Technology Cluster. With support from Life Science Austria (LISA), Human.Technology.Styria, Innovation.Salzburg, LISAvienna, ECOplus and the Standortagentur Tirol.

Register here

Finally

We hope you enjoyed reading our BNN QUARTERLY! Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any suggestions or feedback!

Our next BNN QUARTERLY will be published in September 2025 and will focus on the topic “Scientific Impact on Clean Manufacturing Solutions”

BioNanoNet members are welcome to send their contributions regarding this focus topic and also articles about their scientific research by 5 September 2025 ! Articles on other topics can be published any time on the BNN website.

Contact info@bnn.at

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from the author or publisher. To request permission, contact info@bnn.at.

The BNN team from left to right: Barbara, Matiss, Caitlin, Clemens, Beatriz, Daniel, Christine, Susanne, Johanna and Andreas