A strategic framework for the development of chemicals and materials that are safe for humans and the environment while providing required functionality and sustainability throughout their lifecycle.
Foresight tracks Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) developments and surfaces the alerts most likely to matter before they turn into missed deadlines, recalls, or escalation work.
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Last updated
14 May 2026, 18:42
Source-backed regulatory and guidance signals tracked by Foresight, with the newest developments first.
Switzerland: Empa and Textile Partners Develop PFAS-Free Plasma Coatings for Outdoor Clothing
Switzerland has highlighted an Empa-led, Innosuisse-funded project with textile manufacturers to develop PFAS-free plasma coating technologies for outdoor clothing, using organosilicon compounds and Safe and Sustainable by Design principles. This research, award recognition, and related SSbD briefing signal an accelerating shift toward viable PFAS alternatives in textiles, with future implications for product design choices, supply chains, and forthcoming regulatory restrictions on PFAS.
SwitzerlandEU Commission Updates Chemicals Strategy Implementation: Governance Acts and Chemicals Data Platform
The European Commission has refreshed its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability implementation page to highlight that three governance acts on one substance, one assessment and the common chemicals data platform are now in force, alongside workstreams on essential uses, PFAS, endocrine disruptors, mixtures and indicators. For companies this confirms that the EU chemicals governance and data infrastructure is largely in place, so compliance teams should focus on the underlying 2025 acts and ongoing revisions of REACH, CLP and related sectoral legislation rather than expecting new obligations from this update itself.
European UnionEU Environment Highlights AI Model Bridging Data Gaps in Chemical Toxicity Assessment
EU Environment has highlighted new research using an AI-based ecotoxicity model to generate over 16 million LC50 predictions for 1,267 chemicals across 3,295 species, dramatically expanding data coverage for environmental hazard assessment. This signals a strategic shift toward AI and non-animal methods to support Safe and Sustainable by Design, REACH decisions, water-quality standards, and product footprinting, which could reshape how chemicals are screened and prioritised in EU policy over time.
European UnionThe European Commission’s Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design Framework: Bridging Innovation and Legislation
EU and national experts have published an open-access review showing how the European Commission’s Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework links its five assessment steps to existing EU chemicals, product, waste, and sustainability legislation. While non-binding, this positions SSbD as a voluntary pre-market bridge between R&D and compliance, signalling that companies who embed SSbD early can streamline future regulatory and ESG obligations and better prepare for the direction of EU chemical policy.
European UnionEU Scientific Advisors Publish Advanced Materials Opinion to Shape Advanced Materials Act
EU scientific advisors have issued a major Scientific Opinion and Evidence Review on advanced materials, outlining how they should reinforce the bloc’s strategic autonomy, safety and sustainability and directly feeding into the design of the forthcoming Advanced Materials Act. The advice signals that future EU rules on advanced materials are likely to emphasise safe-and-sustainable-by-design criteria, robust digital data infrastructures and harmonised standards across sectors such as electronics, health and clean energy, so materials producers and users should start aligning R&D and investment strategies accordingly.
European UnionEU Parliament ITRE Committee Publishes Amendments 465–618 To Horizon Europe 2028–2034 Specific Programme Proposal
EU lawmakers have tabled ITRE committee amendments to the Horizon Europe 2028–2034 Specific Programme proposal, sharpening priorities around advanced chemicals and materials, critical raw materials, circular-economy technologies and large-scale demonstrator projects. This points to substantial future EU funding for safe and sustainable chemical innovation, materials circularity and regulatory sandboxes, which chemicals-intensive firms can align with when planning R&D strategy and consortium participation.
European UnionPARC and JRC Strengthen Collaboration at Annual Meeting 2026
In February 2026, PARC and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre agreed a stronger collaboration roadmap on SSbD training, chemicals monitoring data, and implementation of the One Substance, One Assessment approach. This signals how key EU chemicals policy tools and data platforms will be operationalised over the next few years, helping companies anticipate future expectations for risk assessment, data sharing, and alternatives to animal testing.
European UnionEmpa Study Finds Safe and Sustainable by Design Aligns With Key EU Environmental Laws
An Empa-led IRISS study finds that the EU’s Safe and Sustainable by Design framework already aligns with roughly two-thirds of key European environmental laws, with especially high overlap for critical raw materials, batteries, packaging and waste legislation. This suggests that companies embedding SSbD early in innovation can meet evolving compliance requirements more efficiently, avoiding PFAS-style legacy risks and reducing long-term regulatory and remediation costs.
European UnionEU-Focused Perspective Calls for P-NAMs to Modernise Chemical Persistence Assessment
Regulators and scientists are advocating for a shift toward high-throughput and computational methods to address critical data gaps in chemical persistence assessments. This transition signals a move toward faster, data-driven screening that will likely redefine persistence classifications and compliance requirements for sustainable product design.
European UnionEuropean Commission Outlines Targeted REACH Revision Plans in Reply to Dutch Parliament
The European Commission has confirmed a targeted REACH revision focused on simplifying procedures and accelerating the transition from individual substance authorizations to broader restrictions. Businesses should prepare for a more aggressive regulatory pace, including stricter enforcement mechanisms like registration revocation and expanded data requirements for endocrine disruptors.
European UnionBAuA Publishes Article on Industrial Operationalisation of EU Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design Framework
Germany’s BAuA has released a strategic analysis on operationalizing the EU’s Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design framework within industrial innovation and portfolio management. While currently voluntary, the framework is being hard-wired into Ecodesign regulations and EU funding, establishing it as a critical benchmark for future market access and investment.
GermanyEuropean UnionEUON Highlights NanoPharos FAIR Nanomaterials Database to Support Evidence-Based Regulation
The EU has launched NanoPharos, a standardized database providing analysis-ready data on nanomaterials and advanced materials to support regulatory and industry modeling. This infrastructure accelerates the transition toward safe and sustainable design frameworks, signaling a move toward more data-intensive and transparent risk assessment requirements.
European UnionPARC Publishes Milestone Report on Safe and Sustainable by Design in Chemical Innovation
PARC has published a milestone report analyzing how chemical companies integrate Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) frameworks into their innovation processes. This guidance signals a shift toward proactive safety and circularity assessments in R&D, setting the stage for future regulatory benchmarks and market access requirements.
European UnionEU Commission Adopts Revised Safe And Sustainable By Design Assessment Framework For Chemicals And Materials
The European Commission has adopted a revised Safe and Sustainable by Design framework, expanding assessment criteria to include social and economic dimensions. This update signals a shift toward holistic lifecycle assessments that will increasingly shape research priorities, substitution strategies, and future regulatory alignment under REACH and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.
European UnionNetherlands Launches National Safe and Sustainable by Design Hub for Chemical Innovation
The Netherlands has launched a national Safe and Sustainable by Design hub to centralize expertise and support the chemical industry in adopting proactive safety and sustainability standards. This initiative signals a transition toward SSbD as a market expectation, requiring companies to integrate lifecycle safety metrics into early-stage R&D to maintain long-term compliance and competitiveness.
NetherlandsEU Commission Mandates SCHEER To Update Risk Assessment of Chemical Mixtures by October 2026
The European Commission has initiated a scientific update to the EU’s chemical mixture risk assessment framework with a final opinion due by October 2026. This review will likely accelerate the adoption of Mixture Assessment Factors and cumulative risk requirements across REACH and environmental legislation, increasing long-term pressure on complex product formulations.
European UnionGermany (Fraunhofer IWM) Develops PFAS-Free Substitution Chain for Lubricants and Seals
German researchers have validated a technical framework for replacing PFAS in high-friction mechanical components ahead of anticipated EU-wide restrictions. This provides machinery manufacturers with a strategic roadmap to mitigate supply chain risks and ensure functional performance as PFAS-based lubricants and seals face regulatory phase-outs.
European UnionGermanyEU SSbD Framework: Review of Predictive Models for Holistic Impact Assessment of Chemicals and Materials
A January 2026 review defines the integration of predictive modeling and New Approach Methodologies to operationalize the EU Safe and Sustainable-by-Design framework. This signals a transition toward computational, life-cycle-based safety assessments that will become a prerequisite for market access for chemicals and advanced materials.
European UnionSouth Korea MOTIE Announces 2026 Future Game‑Changing Technology Project Call Including PFAS‑Free Transition Theme
South Korea has launched a major R&D funding call for PFAS-free material transitions in the semiconductor and battery sectors, with applications due by March 13, 2026. This initiative signals a strategic shift toward holistic material substitution to mitigate global regulatory risks and secure long-term supply chain resilience for high-tech manufacturing.
South KoreaOECD Publishes Chemical Safety and Biosafety Progress Report No. 48 (February 2026)
The OECD released its February 2026 progress report detailing global advancements in chemical safety, nanomaterials, and sustainable chemistry frameworks. These developments will drive international harmonization of testing guidelines and risk management strategies, requiring businesses to align R&D and compliance programs with emerging safe and sustainable by design standards.
GlobalThese are just a few of the most recent Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) alerts. Foresight tracks every jurisdiction, every day — and surfaces only what affects your portfolio, with full citations and evidence.
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Definition
A strategic framework for the development of chemicals and materials that are safe for humans and the environment while providing required functionality and sustainability throughout their lifecycle.
Industry relevance
Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) developments can change product scope, supplier expectations, market access, reporting duties, and risk ownership. Foresight tracks the signals early so teams can respond before obligations become urgent.
Foresight tracking
Foresight monitors official sources, extracts structured regulatory intelligence, and maps alerts to a customer's products, substances, markets, and priorities so teams see the relevant signal with source evidence for review.
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