Designing the Future of Materials

GreenDecision joins leading EU initiatives to shape a new generation of safe, functional, and sustainable materials.

From 9 to 13 June 2025, the city of Venice will host an international summer school focused on a pressing challenge for the future of innovation: how to develop advanced materials that are not only functional and high-performing, but also safe for human health and the environment, and sustainable across their entire life cycle.

GreenDecision, a spin-off of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice specialising in environmental risk and sustainability assessment, is among the organisers of the event. Its active role reflects a strong commitment to advancing responsible innovation at the European level.

The summer school is part of a joint effort involving fifteen EU-funded projects and is designed to train a new generation of professionals capable of integrating Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) approaches into the development of innovative materials. The goal is not only to share knowledge, but to enable participants to apply SSbD principles through hands-on sessions, case studies, and practical tools.

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A Holistic Approach to Functionality, Safety, and Sustainability

The programme takes a systemic and multidisciplinary approach to sustainable material design, with a focus on:

• The European policy landscape supporting safe and sustainable innovation

• Methods for safety assessment, including New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and in vivo testing with model organisms

• Tools to assess environmental, economic, and social sustainability, such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Lifecycle Costing (LCC)

• Techniques for evaluating functionality and performance, and how to integrate them into decision-making

• Computational models and decision-support tools tailored also to small and medium-sized enterprises

This integrated vision is at the core of the SSbD paradigm, which is increasingly central to Europe’s strategy for a circular and competitive economy.

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Training the Next Generation of Responsible Innovators

The school brings together a diverse and interdisciplinary community: early-career researchers, industry professionals, policymakers, and civil society representatives—united by a shared goal of contributing to the transition towards safer, fairer, and more sustainable technologies.

Thanks to its expertise in risk assessment and the development of digital tools for sustainability, GreenDecision will offer a concrete contribution, both scientifically and practically. Participating in initiatives like this means not only exchanging knowledge, but also strengthening a European innovation ecosystem built on responsibility, openness, and collaboration.

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🔍 Want to learn more?

Follow GreenDecision on LinkedIn and visit the SUNRISE Project's website to stay updated on our projects, collaborations, and tools at the service of safe and sustainable innovation.