News

Exciting news, on March 24, 2026, Leibniz Association officially announced the continuation of the supra-regional Leibniz Research Alliance (LRA) "Advanced Materials Safety (AMS)", led by Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery, Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e. V. (IPF), and Prof. Dr. Hildegard Westphal, Leibniz-Zentrum für Marine Tropenforschung (ZMT). Leibniz Research Alliances pool the expertise of individual Leibniz institutes and aim at long-term collaborations on cross-cutting topics of strategic importance for science and society.
Starting April 1^st 2026, the LRA-AMS consortium will pursue its research activities on approaches to safe and sustainable materials. The first funding phase of the LRA-AMS established a strong foundation for interdisciplinary collaboration and a framework for addressing materials safety early in the design process. However, it became clear that focusing solely on "safety" overlooks broader impacts of materials on human health and the environment. There is a growing need to develop sustainable materials that are not only non-toxic but also energy- and resource-efficient, with a predictably safe life cycle. In this respect, the second funding phase of the LRA-AMS will further develop materials design approach which tackles undesired impacts of materials on human health and the environment from a proactive position.

The LRA-AMS spokespersons Prof. Dr. Andreas Fery and Prof. Dr. Hildegard Westphal appreciate the constant contribution of all LRA-AMS members and this regard they said: “A special thanks is addressed to the doctoral researchers of the first funding phase, whose results were crucial for the project success and Prof. Dr. Annette Kraegeloh, Leibniz-Institut für Neue Materialien, for her leadership in initiating and guiding the LRA-AMS during most of the first funding phase. We look forward to a successful second funding phase!”.

Link to the website of Leibniz Research Alliance "Advanced Materials Safety"