The IRISS project has focused on connecting, synergizing and transforming the SSbD community in Europe and globally towards a life cycle thinking where there is a holistic integration of safety, climate neutrality, circularity and functionality of materials, products and processes throughout their lifecycle to meet the European Green Deal, EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, and UN SDGs. The uniqueness of IRISS has been that the consortium was built of partners that represent the top components needed to build an EU-led permanent network (i.e. policy, industry, applied science, innovation and research & education), and that is self-sustaining and international in scope.
IRISS has achieved the following objectives:
1. To develop a state-of-the-art SSbD ecosystem that is supportive for the uptake and utilization of safe-by-design (SbD) and sustainable-by-design (SusbD) strategies by industry, especially SMEs.
2. To contribute to criteria and guiding principles for SusbD development driven by the application of life cycle thinking in materials and product design and in line with ongoing work in European and international initiatives.
3. To establish a structure for a permanent, gender balanced, inclusive, international and sustainable experts network accessible for all relevant stakeholders.
4. To develop SSbD roadmaps encompassing three, agendas identifying: 1) scientific research needs, 2) skills, competences and education needs, and 3) knowledge and information sharing needs. The roadmaps will be developed in a co-creation and inclusive process for the implementation of SSbD in industry and society including prioritised steps within research, innovation, skill demands, management and governance.
5. To develop a monitoring and evaluation programme that systematically scans for state-of-the-art knowledge, information gaps and translates these into specific R&D questions and governance needs that feed into systematic roadmap updates.
The project has played a proactive role in building connections with key stakeholders, such as industry actors, policymakers, and research organisations. Productive cooperation has been established not only within European Union but also outside the EU, engaging with various initiatives, associations, and projects (including on Member state level), fostering valuable synergies and knowledge exchange. The project has also engaged in targeted outreach and promotion of project results to various external audiences: industry, regulators, policy and general public.
