The Division of Environmental and Cultural Heritage Chemistry of the Italian Chemical Society is pleased to invite you to the XXII National Divisional Congress which will be held in Palermo, at the campus of the University of Palermo in Viale delle Scienze ed. 19 from 16 to 19 June 2026. The Divisional Congress represents an opportunity for scientific and cultural interaction and debate on the most current issues relating to the chemistry of the environment and cultural heritage and their relationship to quality of life. It is aimed at researchers from academia and industry and all those interested in exploring issues related to knowledge of the environment, cultural heritage, and their protection. The aim is to highlight the importance of scientific research in safeguarding the environment and cultural heritage, in individual well-being, and in socioeconomic development.

Elena Semenzin from our partner Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics is proudly among the invited speakers.

The scientific topics on which the sessions will be organized are the following:

• Chemistry and reactivity of contaminants and pollutants in the environment and cultural heritage;

• Climate change, monitoring, risk assessment and environmental impacts;

• Environmental sustainability (LCA, emergy, etc.), circular economy and recovery of sustainable resources and raw materials;

• Development and production of materials and substances Safe and Sustainable by Design;

• New eco-friendly materials for the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage;

• Archaeometry and development of diagnostic methods for the characterization of historical, artistic and archaeological artefacts;

• Indoor/outdoor air quality and impacts on cultural heritage conservation;

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) in environmental chemistry and cultural heritage;

• Innovative teaching methods for teaching environmental chemistry and cultural heritage;

• Calorimetry and thermal analysis for the environment and cultural heritage.

The CheMatSustain Stakeholder Event – Advanced materials: how to go from Data to Design through the scope of SSbD? will take place on June 17, 2026 in Plaza Virgen de la Paz in Valencia, Spain as well as online.

This hybrid, free-of-charge event brings together key stakeholders across academia, industry, and policy to explore the integration of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) principles in material science. It provides a unique platform to connect with experts and innovators from the textile, cosmetics, and bio-based industries, alongside industrial partners, data analysts, and developers of SSbD tools. Together, we will examine how data-driven insights can safely and sustainably transform the conception, design, and scaling of advanced materials.

Program Highlights

• Expert Networking: Connect and collaborate with EU project partners, researchers, and industry frontrunners actively driving Europe’s sustainable transformation.

• Actionable Insights: Learn how to directly apply SSbD frameworks to shape the safer and more compliant future materials.

• Accessible Format: Participate either in person in Valencia, or via online stream.

Core Themes

Integrating safety, toxicity assessments, and environmental sustainability at the earliest stages of material development.

• From Data to Design: Leveraging digital tools, robust databases, and data-driven insights to accelerate advanced material innovation.

• Cross-Industry Application: Translating sustainable design frameworks into practical strategies for the textile, cosmetics, and bio-based sectors.

The programme will be structured around 3 main pillars:

• Session 1: Data and AI tools for SSbD, including ongoing developments on Chematsustain Database and AI toolboxes

• Session 2: Bridging Environmental and Safety Assessment with SSbD, discussing LCA, Risk Assesment and LCA best practices for safe and sustainable deployment of Chemicals and Nanomaterials

• Session 3: Industry Roundtable, focusing on needs, challenges, and opportunities related to data and AI within EU-Horizon Projects and Industry

Full Agenda

Secure your spot and join the Future of Safe and Sustainable Innovation!

Following the success of the SSbD24 in Monte Verità and SSbD25 in Zurich, Switzerland, this year’s event continues to bring together a growing and engaged SSbD community.

The SSbD26 Conference is organized by the IRISS International SSbD Community and will take place from November 9-11 2026, in Stockholm, Sweden. This is the third edition of the yearly SSbD conference, where researchers, industry and policymakers meet to discuss topics related to Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD).

The call for abstracts is open

• Contributions from all fields of research, industry, and policy are welcome.The deadline is June 30 2026 (23:59 CEST).

• Abstract submission for an oral or poster presentation to ssbd-conference@ivl.se.

‍ ‍We look forward to seeing you in Stockholm!