Integrated Models for the Development and Assessment of High Impact Chemicals and Materials

INSIGHT's multi-layer Framework

Illustration of the INSIGHT Framework for integrated impact assessment and SSbD.

The INSIGHT project will provide a novel, integrated framework for mechanistic impact assessment of chemicals and materials. This multi-layer framework consists of a data graph, a model graph and an impact outcome pathway (IOP) graph that predict the health, environmental, social and economic impacts of chemicals and materials. The three graphs will be systematically interlinked together and used for integrated impact assessment of chemicals and materials for next generation integrated Safe & Sustainable by Design (SSbD).

INSIGHT's Policy Alignment

INSIGHT is fully aligned with the EU principles of safety and sustainability of enabling and emerging technologies of chemicals and materials, as addressed in the EU’s Chemical Strategy for Sustainability (2020), in the European Green Deal (2021) and in the Advanced Materials 2030 Initiative (AMI2030). INSIGHT supports the European Green Deal, through which Europe aspires to become the first climate neutral continent by the year 2050. Results from INSIGHT will support policy development in the areas of neutrality, biodiversity protection, public health, and circular economy. INSIGHT is also aligned with the EU’s Chemical Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) and will aid the development of a dynamic economy respecting planet Earth as a whole, avoiding harm to humans and the environment.

INSIGHT's Objectives

The INSIGHT Project aims to:

  1. Develop an integrated framework for mechanistic impact assessment based on the novel concept of IOP;
  2. Provide curated and user-friendly FAIR data and computational models and workflows that support the development of the next generation SSbD chemicals and materials;
  3. Provide open, accessible and interactive guidelines, enabling end users and stakeholders to access and operate the framework.

INSIGHT’s Objectives

Specific Objective 1: to develop an integrated computational platform for integrated impact assessment based on the novel concept of impact outcome pathway (IOP).

INSIGHT’s Objectives

Specific Objective 2: to provide curated, FAIR and user-friendly data and models organised in an integrated framework that promotes and supports SSbD.

INSIGHT’s Objectives

Specific Objective 3: to provide open, accessible and interactive guidelines in the form of conceptual decision maps.

INSIGHT’s Objectives

Specific Objective 4: to establish continuous crosstalk with other frameworks and actions and ensure regulatory relevance.

INSIGHT’s Objectives

Specific Objective 5: to benchmark the INSIGHT framework in the context of specific case studies.

INSIGHT's Decision-Support System & GUI

Illustration of the decision maps and the INSIGHT Framework GUI.

To facilitate SSbD decision-making, INSIGHT will develop an integrated decision-support system in the form of interactive decision maps. These maps will be multi-level workflows designed for guided decision-making by industrial and regulatory stakeholders and will be adapted to multiple types of SSbD use cases. 

The decision maps will also guide the development of the INSIGHT framework GUI (graphical user interface).

The GUI will be customisable to suit different user groups’ needs and preferences. A Software as a Service (SaaS) option will also be available, hosted on a scalable and secure cloud infrastructure, making it easier for end-users to collaborate and share data with partners and stakeholders, and providing an additional level of convenience and accessibility.

INSIGHT's Consortium

Illustration of the geographic spread of the INSIGHT consortium; the Project spans across Europe and has members in North & South America, Asia and Oceania.

The INSIGHT consortium brings together acknowledged scholars from 20 partners featuring high-quality research on the topic and with diverse backgrounds from chemical safety assessment, LCA, socio-economic studies, regulatory toxicology, environmental and innovation studies, science and technology, data science, AI and software development.

To find out more about each INSIGHT Partner, please click here.