Collaboration, Courage, and Chemistry: Highlights from the SSbD Conference 2025

Stockholm, 7 October, 2025 – More than 100 researchers, innovators, and industry leaders gathered at IVA Konferenscenter for “Future-proof the Green Transition – Mobilize for Safe and Sustainable Innovation”, a full-day conference that sparked lively discussions, new collaborations, and a shared sense of purpose.

The event, hosted by IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, and Change Chemistry, explored one essential question: How can safety and sustainability be built into innovation from the start?

“We can’t afford polarization”

After a buzzing morning mingle, Asli Tamer Vestlund (Change Chemistry), Nina Melander (RISE), and Patrik Andersson (IVL) opened the day by underscoring a recurring theme: collaboration.

Our current planetary crises are interconnected, said Tamer Vestlund. To solve them, we must move sustainability, safety, design, finance and policy together.

Navigating a shifting regulatory landscape

The keynote speaker, Per Ängquist, Director General at the Swedish Chemicals Agency, set the tone with insights on how regulation can drive innovation – not hinder it. His presentation, “Navigating Chemical Safety in a Shifting Regulatory Landscape,” drew strong engagement from the audience and set the stage for a day focused on practical pathways toward “Safe and Sustainable by Design” (SSbD).

Europe’s green transition in motion

The first session brought together Garbiñe Guiu Etxeberria and Irantzu Garmendia Aguirre from the European Commission, Nina Melander from RISE, and Emma Strömberg from IVL. They shared the latest EU policy developments and community-building initiatives under the SSbD framework –highlighting how science, regulation, and collaboration across value chains can turn sustainability into a competitive advantage.

Finance meets innovation

In the session “Funding Change: Aligning Research & Finance to Deliver SSbD,” Jerker Ligthart (ChemSec), Simon Cogen (Belgian Ministry of Economy), and Therese Woodhill (Formas) unpacked the economics of safer chemistry. Their message was clear: knowledge and transparency are the new currencies. Investors are increasingly looking for companies that phase out hazardous substances and design safer, circular products from the start.

Dreaming big: cracking steel, concrete, and food

The afternoon’s first panel, moderated by Patrik Andersson (IVL), turned vision into action. Speakers Daniel Simon (WISE/Linköping University), Eva Kathrin Schillinger (IAM-I), and Lars Friberg (Vinnova) explored how cross-sector innovation can accelerate the SSbD agenda. Among the “dream innovations” for a safer, more sustainable future, three stood out: steel, concrete, and food. These industries – foundational to our economy and everyday life — were named as the ultimate testbeds for applying SSbD principles. Cracking those codes, several speakers agreed, would mark a turning point for the entire green transition.

Making SSbD happen

The final panel, led by Christina Jönsson (RISE), brought together voices from Ericsson, AstraZeneca, and Svenskt Näringsliv to discuss opportunities, challenges, and the way forward. The consensus? Collaboration and communication remain the strongest catalysts for change – and Sweden is well positioned to lead by example.

Charting the course ahead

The day ended with reflections on Sweden’s leadership role and the need for long-term collaboration across research, policy, and industry. The closing mingle buzzed with new contacts, new ideas, and shared determination.

Safe and sustainable innovation isn’t just a policy concept, one participant said – it’s the future of European industry. About the conference

The SSbD Conference was part of the Mistra SafeChem programme and co-organised by IVL, RISE, and Change Chemistry. The event drew participants from academia, industry, and government across Europe –all united in driving safer, more sustainable innovation forward.