Modern societies rely on synthetic chemicals for progress, yet many of these substances pose serious risks to human health and the environment. The SUSTECH project tackles this paradox by examining how hazardous compounds emerge, persist, and succeed in markets – and how innovation pathways might be redirected toward safer alternatives. Combining computational chemistry and machine learning with the economics of innovation and patent analysis, SUSTECH develops tools to forecast hazard profiles and uncover the incentives shaping chemical innovation. In this seminar, I will outline SUSTECH’s broader research agenda and reflect on our interdisciplinary collaboration, intellectual convergence, and strategic decisions that led to the award of an ERC Synergy Grant. The talk offers both a scientific perspective on steering chemical innovation toward sustainability and a candid account of building a successful high-risk, high-reward research consortium.
Ansprechpartner: Elisabeth Hofmeister
Eintragung in den Einladungsverteiler und mehr Informationen auf der Seminarseite.