We will create a advisory strategy to help stakeholders move toward sustainable solutions. It is built on four key pillars and results from our internal analysis: Technology, driving innovation and adopting circular solutions like chemical depolymerization and degradable plastics; Regional Collaboration, building cross-border partnerships and sharing knowledge; Regulatory Environment, ensuring practices meet policies and compliance standards; and Education & Outreach, raising awareness and working with academic institutions to train the next generation. Together, these pillars offer practical guidance for a more circular plastics sector.

The cornerstone of our work is closing the loop for polyamide 6. In collaboration with the University of Ljubljana and AquafilSLO from Slovenia, we are using depolymerization technology that can break polyamide 6 back into its building block, caprolactam. This allows to take waste materials, from discarded fishing nets to worn carpets and textiles, and transform them into fully recycled, high-quality polyamide 6. Within the project, the Association of Chemical Industry of the Czech Republic plays a key role by linking Czech companies such as TEBO a.s. that generate textile waste with AquafilSLO. Through this connection, materials that would otherwise be discarded gain a direct pathway back into production, strengthening the supply chain needed for true circularity.

We will establish an advisory strategy to support low-carbon pathways in chemical sector. The strategy will result from our internal analysis. The plan rests on four main pillars: Technology, promoting clean solutions such as carbon capture, energy-efficient processes, use of biomass as feedstock, etc.; Regional Collaboration, creating cross-border networks to exchange knowledge and best practices; Regulatory Environment, ensuring alignment with climate regulations and encouraging adherence to emission standards; and Education & Outreach, engaging communities and partnering with universities to educate the next generation on carbon reduction strategies.

The first pillar focuses on transforming CO₂ into valuable molecules. At the University of Ljubljana and company Belinka Perkemija from Slovenia, experts work on converting CO2 and waste calcium hydroxide into useful calcium carbonate. In parallel, scientists from TU Wien and Vienna Textile Lab are working with microorganisms that not only incorporate CO₂ into biomass but also produce high-value fragrances. In the second pillar, we are reimagining dye production. By optimizing biotechnological processes, TU Wien and Vienna Textile Lab are creating sustainable dyes, cutting down the CO₂ emissions that come with their production. The third pillar looks to biomass as a driver for pharmaceutical innovation. Charles University in Czechia and the Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry in Hungary are using biomass-derived molecules like Cyrene® to develop pharmaceutical intermediates and molecular libraries that can accelerate drug discovery. Together, these three pillars connect CO₂ utilization, sustainable materials, and pharma innovation into one story: chemical sector with lower carbon footprint.

We will develop an advisory strategy to guide stakeholders in producing fine chemicals, including active pharmaceutical ingredients and dyes, more sustainably. The strategy rests on four pillars: Technology, advancing green solutions such as biocatalysis, green catalysis, solvent reduction through micellar aqueous media or ball-milling, etc; Regional Collaboration, promoting knowledge sharing and partnerships across regions; Regulatory Environment, ensuring compliance with chemical safety and sustainability standards; and Education & Outreach, engaging academic institutions to train the next generation of chemists with respect to sustainable chemical production.

GreenChemForCE is streamlining how fine chemicals are made by cutting out hazardous solvents and recovering valuable materials. Our pilot activities focus on two key areas: • Solvent managment Swap out toxic organic solvents for water-based or bio-derived alternatives (e.g., micellar systems, biorenewable solvents, such as Cyrene®) to perform common chemical reactions or purification of the pharmaceutical ingredients. We are also exploring the use of ballmilling in the extraction of textile dyes produced by microorganisms, which could significantly reduce the amount of solvent needed for dye recovery. Use ball milling to grind biomass helps breaking the cells open mechanically, so we no longer need harmful solvents for extraction. • Catalyst Recovery & Reuse Capture and recycle rare-metal catalysts (like palladium) from API production waste streams—testing different recovery methods and analytical tracking to enable true circularity. These solutions are being tested first at lab scale and will move to pilot trials, with the goal of providing ready-to-use protocols that reduce waste and environmental impact in the fine-chemical and pharmaceutical industries. This activity involves collaboration of Charles University, Eötvös Loránd University on the academic, and Zentiva k.s., VTL GmbH, The Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, and associated partner EGIS Pharmaceuticals Plc on the industrial side.

Our activity focuses on smart catalysis for the sustainable production of fine chemicals, especially pharmaceuticals and their intermediates. Traditional catalytic reactions often rely on rare transition metals (e.g., palladium, rhodium) and organic solvents, generating significant waste. We aim to address these challenges by developing more efficient and sustainable catalytic processes. What we do: • Optimizing catalyst use: We develop reactions that minimize the use of precious metals, enabling greener synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates. • Biocatalysis&Flow: We employ biocatalysis to avoid harmful reagents, reduce solvent use (runs in water), and lower energy requirements. This approach allows the construction of key bonds in APIs, providing industrial partners with a sustainable tool for synthesis. And we do these reactions in flow reactors. • We develop processes that produce only the desired optical form of APIs, avoiding the formation of their mirror-image counterparts (produced in equal amounts by usual methods), which are often ineffective or even harmful. This reduces waste and minimises environmental impact. The work brings together Charles University and Eötvös Loránd University, University of Ljubljana with industrial partners Zentiva k.s. from Czechia, and Hungarian companies Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, and Egis Pharmaceuticals Plc.