Since 2015, the ChIR Symposium has brought together students, researchers, industry professionals and regulatory stakeholders to discuss emerging challenges and innovations at the interface of chemistry, sustainability and chemical regulation. Rotating annually between the University of Algarve, the University of Barcelona and the University of Bologna, the ChIR symposium has become an important meeting point for interdisciplinary dialogue on the future of responsible chemical innovation.

The 2026 edition marks a particularly significant moment in the evolution of the programme: the transition from ChIR – Chemical Innovation and Regulation to its new Erasmus Mundus format as ChIRS – Chemical Innovation and Regulation for Sustainability. This transition reflects the growing recognition that the challenges facing chemistry today cannot be addressed only through end-of-pipe regulation or risk management after innovation occurs. Instead, safety and sustainability must increasingly be integrated from the earliest stages of molecular, material and process design. At the centre of this vision is the concept of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD), which has become a key strategic direction for European chemical policy and innovation.

Under the theme “SSbD: Innovation Beyond REACH”, the ChIR Symposium 2026 will explore how chemistry can contribute to a more sustainable future through safer materials, cleaner industrial processes, circular-economy approaches, advanced environmental technologies and innovative regulatory perspectives.

The symposium programme combines keynote lectures from invited experts with presentations of research developed by ChIR students across a broad range of sustainability-oriented topics, including:
‍
* EU chemical policy and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability;
* Safe and Sustainable by Design;
* sustainable materials and nanomaterials;
* environmental remediation and wastewater treatment;
* microplastics and emerging contaminants;
* advanced oxidation and membrane technologies;
* hydrogen production and energy conversion technologies;
* climate monitoring and chemical sensing;
* circular economy and biodegradability of bioplastics;
* food sustainability, functional foods and innovative packaging;
* pharmaceutical quality and medicinal chemistry;
* biotechnology and biological methanation;
* computational chemistry and drug design;
* photocatalysis and water remediation;
* sustainable industrial optimisation and lifecycle assessment.

The symposium reflects the strongly interdisciplinary nature of ChIRS, bringing together chemical science, sustainability assessment, innovation and regulation within a common framework focused on developing safer and more sustainable solutions for society.

We warmly welcome all participants and hope this symposium will foster new ideas, collaborations and inspiration for the future of sustainable chemistry.

Welcome to the ChIR Symposium 2026.