City of Vienna Endowed Chair for Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD)

The aim of the project is to establish an endowed professorship for Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) at the University of Applied Sciences (UAS). The European Commission’s SSbD approach provides a voluntary framework for product development in which safety and sustainability criteria are incorporated into product planning (e.g. running shoes, cosmetics, electronic devices, skis) from the outset, representing a paradigm shift in chemicals policy. At best, products developed using this approach pose no risk to human health or the environment, are recyclable, avoid waste and thus conserve our planet’s resources. The project addresses the urgent need to integrate the innovative SSbD concept, which is still largely unknown in the Austrian education sector, into education in order to make an important contribution to protecting our planet and securing a future worth living. The project is divided into project management, SSbD in teaching and research, the third mission and the evaluation of the project.

A key focus of both the teaching and research aspects of the project is on considering gender and diversity aspects in the exposure to and effects of chemicals in products. The endowed professorship will integrate SSbD into teaching and research, develop interdisciplinary courses and establish collaborations with companies. With the endowed professorship, the FHTW is taking on a key role in training specialists who can evaluate and further develop safe and sustainable products, taking into account different population groups (e.g. infants, children, adults, pensioners, women, men, different professions). The implementation and promotion of the SSbD concept strengthens Vienna’s position as a location for innovation and supports the Vienna 2030 strategy through efficient materials and the circular economy. The endowed professorship thus contributes to achieving the city’s sustainability goals by promoting the selection and evaluation of chemicals and products that are safer and more sustainable.

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