The Netherlands is getting a national expertise center that will help companies make new chemical substances and materials safer and more sustainable right from the drawing board. TNO, the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), the VNCI (Association of Netherlands Chemicals and Chemicals), and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management joined forces on March 2, 2026. The center will focus on the principle Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD). Here, safety, health, and environmental impact are not the final item, but the starting point of the innovation process.
The need for this has become painfully apparent in practice. In the chemical industry, deficiencies often only come to light when substances are already in widespread use, resulting in high societal costs and complex remediation issues. PFAS is the most recent example. The new center aims to prevent such processes by eliminating risks to humans and the environment from the design phase onward.
Thinking about reuse from the very first sketch
This approach is crucial, especially when scaling up biobased raw materials. While the transition from fossil to biobased raw materials is a fundamental pillar of the raw materials transition, a biological origin does not automatically guarantee safety or circularity. By applying SSbD principles, developers of new biochemical building blocks can directly target properties such as biodegradability and low toxicity. This allows for the laboratory-based determination of how a material can safely return to the biological or technical cycle after use.
To bring this theory to the workplace, the center offers active support through training, tools, and data covering the entire supply chain, from producer to end user. For the VNCI trade association, it's essential that SMEs also participate. In a dedicated hub, companies can experiment with new methods within existing laws and regulations, which should lower the barrier to sustainable innovation.
Competitiveness through European connection
Besides the environmental benefits, there's a clear economic factor at play. As European regulations regarding chemicals policy and product safety become stricter, the pressure on chemical companies to green their portfolios is increasing. By integrating safety and sustainability directly into the design, they strengthen their competitive position and prevent innovations from running into legal barriers later on.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management is financing the project, thereby strengthening the Netherlands' position within the European market. Synergies with a future European center of expertise for SSbD and substitution are being sought immediately. This international link is essential: chemical value chains don't stop at borders. Knowledge developed here will only truly gain traction when it seamlessly integrates with future European frameworks and assessment methods.
Developers of new polymers or coatings made from plant-based waste streams can use the center to more quickly demonstrate that their products are truly future-proof. The focus isn't on slowing down innovation, but on paving the way for materials that are sustainable in the long term in a circular economy.
Source: TNO
Photo: Chris Anton, Adobe Stock
