Looking back at the 7th edition of S3: a European event for eco-plastics

7th edition of S3: a European meeting for eco-plastics

On November 5 and 6, 2025, the 7th edition of S3, organized by Polymeris, was held at Materi’Act in Villeurbanne in partnership with Axel’one. This European Congress dedicated to Eco-Plastics and sustainable, smart, and safe polymer materials brought together more than 80 participants, including about ten international attendees from the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, and Italy.

On the agenda, 23 talks on bio-based materials, recycling, AI applied to materials, and European projects.

2 days of exchange and innovation

Conferences, round tables, feedback sessions, and networking sessions allowed for the discussion of innovative solutions for more responsible plastics manufacturing, covering the entire value chain, from R&D to industrial scale-up. Experts, industry professionals, start-ups, and researchers exchanged ideas on key topics: bio-based materials, recycling, circular economy, artificial intelligence, and digital tools.

Over two days, conferences, round tables, experience sharing, and networking sessions covered innovative solutions for more responsible plastics processing as well as the entire value chain, from R&D to industrial scale-up.

A strong European dimension

The second day particularly highlighted European cooperation, which is essential for accelerating the transition to sustainable materials. About ten European organizations—companies, technology centers, and academic partners—were present, including Noptal, FKuR Normec, AFIL, and Polinivo.

and Curti. These actors are involved in collaborative projects and strategic networks in which Polymeris is a partner, illustrating the collective dynamic that drives the sector. The exchanges allowed the sharing of concrete progress, best practices, and opportunities for synergies to strengthen European competitiveness.

Two flagship projects were highlighted:

• Bio-Uptake, which aims to promote the adoption of bioplastic composites in key sectors such as construction, healthcare, and packaging.
• Biobive, focused on the development of biodegradable systems for the controlled release of bioactives.

As a supplement, Syensqo and Axel’One presented their contributions to innovative European projects, demonstrating the importance of public-private partnerships in accelerating applied research. The Italian cluster AFIL also shared its initiatives within the framework of the Vanguard initiative, a European program aimed at supporting sustainable industrialization and promoting advanced manufacturing practices. This collaborative approach illustrates the willingness of clusters and companies to pool their expertise to address environmental and technological challenges.

Visit to production sites

Participants had the opportunity to visit the Syensqo and Axel’One sites, discovering European capabilities in R&D, prototyping, and the growing integration of AI in industrial processes. At Axel’One, the presentation of the instrumented D27 TSA twin-screw extruder showcased the state-of-the-art equipment dedicated to developing new formulations and scale-up testing. At Syensqo, demonstrations of the pilot tools from the European AdChem4 project showed how scientific research, technological innovation, and industrial partnerships come together to accelerate the transition to sustainable chemistry.

Outlook for the next edition

This edition confirms the central place of the Smart Polymer Congress S3 as a key technical meeting for stakeholders in polymers and advanced materials. Polymeris is already preparing the next edition with strategic partnerships with

at the European level, the ambition to broaden the topics, strengthen international participation, and provide more time for discussions and networking.

This edition confirms the central role of the S3 Congress as a key technical event for stakeholders in polymers and advanced materials. We are already preparing the next edition, with strategic partnerships at the European level and the ambition to further expand the topics, strengthen international participation, and provide more time for discussions and networking.

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