COLIN - Sustainable surface treatment industry - collaboration, policy and instrumentation

Purpose and goal:

This project is part of an effort that began in 2021 to speed up the transition towards a sustainable surface treatment industry. A network of industrial and academic ctors identified that to promote the industrial transition, regulations and instruments play an important role. In this context, this project aims to:

Develop a strategy to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable surface treatment industry, Create a long-lasting collaboration where policies and instruments and their effect on implementation can be discussed. Propose a step-by-step plan to go forward Expected results and effects: The expected short-term effects are:

A stronger surface treatment industry network that can share knowledge and challenges related to the sustainable transition.

Agreement for a new set of standards/certification related to the environmental impact of surface treatments in preparation for Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). Analysis of the resiliency of this industrial sector in the phase of new or changed sustainability policies. Increase support for the Swedish surface treatment industry R&D with focus on SMEs.

Approach and implementation:

The work in the project is divided in three technical- and one management work packages (WP). WP 1 and WP 2 will look at the current status of policies and technologies with a sustainability outlook (environmental, social, economic). Based on the work by WP 1 and WP 2, WP 3 will work to propose the necessary steps, beyond the end of this project, to achieve our sustainability goals.

WP 4 will be tasked with the management of the project as well as making sure that the consortium has an open communication with the rest of the stakeholders.