Sustainability in a broader context
A central theme of the convention was how sustainability is built-in into materials research. Joseph Samec, Professor of Sustainable Chemistry and Director of Sustainability inside WISE, and Niclas Svensson, specialist in life cycle evaluation, highlighted the necessity to analyse materials past the laboratory setting.
They emphasised the significance of contemplating the total lifecycle, from use to finish of life, and of inserting research in a broader context.
Key questions included what materials exchange, how they are often scaled, what sources are required and which unintended penalties might come up.
At the identical time, funding companies are inserting more and more clear calls for on integrating this kind of evaluation into research tasks.
Tools and necessities for upcoming calls
Peter Dyreklev, Research Coordinator inside WISE, introduced how sustainability will play a extra outstanding position in upcoming calls.
An vital requirement is that tasks, together with taking part researchers corresponding to co-PIs, should show {that a} documented sustainability evaluation has been carried out.
To help this, the WISE Assist device is used. It helps researchers systematically analyse the lifecycle of materials and establish related sustainability points.
From research to subsequent steps
Sustainability has been an integral half of WISE since its inception, however was given stronger emphasis at this 12 months’s convention. At the identical time, pathways from research to utility had been highlighted.
Within the programme, there are hyperlinks to the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation’s investments in proof-of-concept tasks (PoC) and funding through Navigare Ventures, aimed toward advancing research outcomes in direction of innovation and industrial utility.
“The research built within WISE forms the foundation for the next generation of industry,” says Sandor Albrecht, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
Together, these efforts illustrate how materials research inside WISE is progressing from basic science to options with relevance for trade and society.