The future of composite materials depends on aligning performance with sustainability and safety.
As regulatory frameworks become more demanding and environmental expectations increase, the composites industry faces the need to redesign material solutions that not only meet technical requirements but also address chemical safety and lifecycle impacts. Fire protection and high performance can no longer be considered independently from sustainability considerations.
Meeting this challenge requires a systemic and interdisciplinary approach
The development of next-generation materials must integrate safe and sustainable by design (SSbD) principles, combining advanced polymer chemistry, toxicological assessment, and industrial validation. Such an approach ensures that safety and environmental aspects are embedded from the earliest stages of material development.
At Composite Poland (20–22 January 2026, Warsaw), Dr. Eng. Bartłomiej Bereska presented modern solutions for the composites sector, focusing on advanced epoxy systems, implementation challenges, and strategic development directions toward more sustainable materials.
The presentation also included insights into ongoing research projects in bio-based resins and biocomposites, particularly BIOSAFIRE and BioStruct. These initiatives demonstrate how R&D activities in bio-based flame retardant systems and sustainable resin technologies can translate into practical industrial applications.
By bridging scientific research and industrial deployment, BIOSAFIRE supports the transformation of fire safety solutions toward safer, bio-based, and future-proof material systems.
What is BIOSAFIRE all about?
BIOSAFIRE will develop and upscale innovative products upgrading nature’s best fire retardants (FRs): lignins and tannins. To ensure that these novel products are safe and sustainable, while retaining their desired technological functionality, they will be thoroughly assessed by applying the SSbD framework at different stages of their development and the results will be iteratively fed into the further design and optimisation of the technologies. Involving the full material value chain, these flame retardants will be upscaled to TRL7 and demonstrated in five different applications.
Excited for the journey ahead and the positive impact we’ll create together!
