SUNRISE Consortium Gathered in Sofia for Its Annual Meeting (March 2025)
Sofia, Bulgaria — From 25 to 27 March 2025, project partners from across Europe convened in Sofia for the annual SUNRISE Consortium Meeting, marking an important milestone in the collaborative journey towards advancing Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) principles in advanced materials.
The three-day meeting brought together experts from research institutions, industry, and policy advisory organisations to share progress, align strategies, and plan the next steps for our project.
Key Highlights from the Meeting
The event was opened by SUNRISE Project Coordinator Danail Hristozov (EMERGE), setting the tone for dynamic discussions and knowledge exchange throughout the meeting.
A major focus of the agenda was the implementation of the SUNRISE Integrated Impact Assessment Approach (IIAA) within the project’s digital e-infrastructure. Led by Lisa Pizzol (GreenDecision), this work aims to ensure robust assessment methodologies for the environment, health, and safety (EHS) aspects of new materials.
Sessions led by GAIKER Technology Centre provided deep dives into the building blocks of the IIAF, exploring methods to assess sustainability alongside EHS factors — a hallmark of the SSbD approach.
On the second day, the consortium turned its attention to sustainability assessment methods, stakeholder engagement strategies, and the integration of data needs across work packages. Facilitated by Michael Saidani (Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology - LIST) and reported by Carlos Gomez (Empa), the session underscored the importance of a tiered approach in assessing sustainability performance.
As the meeting progressed, cross-cutting issues emerged as key discussion points, highlighting the interconnected nature of safety and sustainability assessments. Consortium members engaged in collaborative problem-solving to address challenges spanning multiple work packages.
Looking Ahead
The final day of the meeting centred on dissemination and communication strategies, led by Yasemin Ertugrul (Yordas Group), focusing on effective outreach, training, and exploitation of project results.
A dedicated session on policy support, chaired by James Baker with contributions from Cyrille Durand (TEMAS Solutions), explored how SUNRISE can contribute to future regulatory frameworks and standardisation strategies within the EU.
The meeting concluded with a project management session addressing pending issues, followed by valuable feedback from the project’s External Advisory Board and closing remarks by Danail Hristozov.
Continuing the Mission
The SUNRISE Consortium's annual meeting in Sofia reaffirmed the project’s commitment to driving safe and sustainable innovation in advanced materials. As the project moves forward, partners will continue to build on the outcomes of this collaborative gathering, ensuring that their research and outputs contribute meaningfully to European policy, industry needs, and society at large.
