Description
Aerogels are ultralight, nanoporous materials with exceptional properties, including high surface area, high open porosity and tunable functionalities, rendering them highly versatile for applications including, but not limited to, energy, construction, environmental remediation, biomedicine, and food. Despite rapid scientific progress, European research on sustainable-by-design aerogels remains fragmented, often confined to laboratory-scale synthesis, with limited coordination toward sustainable scale-up, digital integration, and circular deployment. Dispersed and non-standardized data on synthesis, properties, and performance further hinder predictive design and cross-sector innovation.
SUSTAiROGELs addresses these challenges by establishing a multidisciplinary European network focused on sustainable, circular, and AI-integrated aerogels. By connecting materials scientists, engineers, digital experts, industry, and policymakers, the Action promotes green synthesis, scalable production, functionalization, and circularity through reuse, recycling, and policy guidance. It fosters knowledge sharing, standardization, and industrial uptake, with strong emphasis on inclusiveness for Young Researchers and Innovators and members from Inclusiveness Target Countries.
SUSTAiROGELs will deliver measurable scientific, societal, and economic impact by enabling energy- and resource-efficient production, validating applications in various sectors, including environmental remediation, biomedicine, and food packaging, and embedding circularity across the lifecycle. AI-driven tools and the SUSTAiROGELs Data Hub, a shared open-access platform, will accelerate discovery, process optimization, and sustainability assessment. By uniting expertise across sectors and countries, SUSTAiROGELs bridges laboratory research with market-ready solutions, positioning Europe as a global leader in sustainable aerogel technologies while advancing the European Green Deal, Bioeconomy Strategy, Circular Economy Action Plan, and Apply AI Strategy.
Action keywords
aerogels - advanced materials - materials engineering - sustainability - circular economy
Management Committee
| Country | MC Member |
|---|---|
| Austria | |
| Switzerland | |
| Switzerland |
Main Contacts
Action Contacts
COST Staff
Working Groups
| Number | Title | Leader |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sustainable Synthesis, Processing, and Functionalization of Aerogels | TBA |
| 2 | Application Sectors and Industrial Relevance | TBA |
| 3 | Characterization, Standardization, and Safety | TBA |
| 4 | Circularity, Policy and Industrial Uptake | TBA |
| 5 | AI, Data, and Digitalization for Sustainable Aerogels | TBA |
| 6 | Capacity Building, Training, and Stakeholder Engagement | TBA |
Express your interest to join any of the working groups by applying below.
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