Milica Velimirovic

Milica Velimirovic (VITO)

Milica Velimirović earned her PhD in 2013 from the University of Antwerp, in collaboration with the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO) in Belgium. From 2013 to 2019, she held a post-doctoral position in the Department of Environmental Geosciences at the University of Vienna, Austria. During this time, her research focused on developing validated and standardized methods using field flow fractionation coupled with ICP-MS, supporting the implementation of the European Commission's recommendations on nanomaterials. From 2019 to 2022, Dr. Velimirovic served as a senior postdoctoral researcher (FWO) within the "Atomic and Mass Spectrometry" research group at the Department of Chemistry, Ghent University, Belgium, and VITO. Currently, she is a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow and Researcher at VITO. Additionally, she is a Management Committee member and leader of Working Group 7 (Developing new strategies to increase synergies with society and education) for Cost Action 20101 - Plastics Monitoring Detection Remediation Recovery (PRIORITY). She also coordinates the EU-funded SSbD4CheM project. Dr. Velimirović's primary research interests lie in developing innovative mass spectrometry analytical strategies and methods to assess and predict the health and environmental risks of nanomaterials, including nanoplastics.

SSbD4CheM – Advancing Safe and Sustainable by Design Practices for Chemicals and Materials

SSbD4CheM is a collaborative European initiative that unites stakeholders from industry, government, academia, and civil society to co-create and demonstrate best practices for Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD). This presentation provides an overview of the project's aims, methodology, and expected impact.

SSbD4CheM seeks to support the EU’s strategic objectives for digital, enabling, and emerging technologies by developing a science-based, actionable SSbD framework. This framework integrates hazard and risk identification at the earliest stages of product and process development, combining cutting-edge scientific approaches with innovative technologies to drive the design of inherently safer and more sustainable solutions.

The presentation will also highlight the project's three demonstration case studies, which serve to validate the framework across diverse industrial contexts. These real-world applications will showcase the potential of SSbD4CheM to guide industry in making informed design choices that balance functionality, safety, and environmental sustainability.

By fostering cross-sector collaboration and knowledge exchange, SSbD4CheM aims to establish a common foundation for SSbD implementation and contribute to shaping the future of chemical innovation in Europe