Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD)

Safe‑and‑Sustainable‑by‑Design (SSbD) for Industry and Research

Safe‑and‑Sustainable‑by‑Design (SSbD) helps companies future‑proof their chemicals, materials and products in the green transition by integrating chemical safety as well as environmental and social sustainability early in research, development and innovation. At RISE, we support you in navigating EU requirements, reducing risks, and accelerating the development of safer and more sustainable solutions.

Why SSbD matters for your business

SSbD provides clear advantages for companies aiming to remain competitive in a rapidly changing regulatory and market landscape. By identifying hazards and sustainability aspects early, you can reduce development costs, avoid late redesigns, strengthen market access, and meet expectations from customers, investors and the EU’s ambitions for the green transition. Our experts translate the SSbD methodology into practical workflows that align with real industrial processes. The approach can also be integrated with other requirements, such as supply‑chain resilience and critical raw materials.

Hands‑on support for companies

We help organisations apply SSbD in product development, substitution work and innovation processes. This includes scoping, hazard screening, toxicology, risk assessment, LCA, circularity aspects, case studies, workshops and tailored guidance. Whether you need strategic support, practical methods or validation of new materials and processes, we provide tools that accelerate safe and sustainable innovation. This support can also be combined with technical evaluations in one of RISE’s test beds.

• Scenario: A company needs to compare several chemicals in its formulation. RISE performs a simplified SSbD screening combined with a basic LCA comparison and delivers a decision‑support document identifying the most sustainable and future‑proof option based on available data. This can be followed by more in‑depth assessment.
• Scenario: During development of a new process, RISE can combine hazard screening and LCA with process simulation. The company receives early design recommendations that reduce risks, environmental impacts and costly redesigns.
• Scenario: For development of a new molecule, RISE can combine in‑silico methods with process simulation and LCA to generate early design suggestions that support both safety and sustainability.

A research partner for sustainable innovation

RISE collaborates with universities, research institutes, EU initiatives and industrial consortia to advance SSbD methods, test beds and knowledge. We co‑develop frameworks and technologies, participate in EU projects and support partners in building the next generation of sustainable materials and chemicals. Together, we turn SSbD concepts into applied science and real‑world impact.

• Scenario: RISE leads scoping workshops to identify data needs, risks and design criteria, giving the project a shared SSbD strategy from the start.
• Scenario: RISE leads SSbD‑related work packages by structuring tasks and ensuring consistent methodology across the consortium. We coordinate partners and deliver harmonised SSbD processes that meet EU requirements.
• Scenario: RISE performs hazard screening, risk assessments and early LCA indicators for project materials or technologies. The results guide technical work packages toward safer and more sustainable solutions. The methodology can also be combined with process simulation.
• Scenario: RISE can contribute to the development of digital SSbD-methodologies and tools.
• Scenario: RISE provides SSbD training ensuring that the consortium gains a shared knowledge base and works efficiently toward the European Commission’s objectives. RISE can also contribute to communication and dissemination activities.