A new COST Action is connecting researchers, innovators and stakeholders across Europe to accelerate sustainable, circular and AI-enabled aerogel research and applications.
Budapest, Hungary – 4 November 2026
A European network for sustainable aerogels
SUSTAiROGELs – European Network for Sustainable Aerogels in Advanced Circular and AI-Enabled Applications (CA25170) brings together researchers and stakeholders from across Europe to advance sustainable, circular and AI-enabled aerogel technologies. Aerogels are ultralight, nanoporous materials with exceptional properties, including high surface area, high open porosity and tunable functionality. These characteristics make them highly versatile for applications in energy, construction, environmental remediation, biomedicine and food, among others. However, European research on sustainable-by-design aerogels remains fragmented, often confined to laboratory-scale synthesis, with limited coordination to support 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.
Addressing the challenge through collaboration
SUSTAiROGELs (CA25170) addresses these challenges by connecting materials scientists, engineers, digital experts, industry and policymakers through a multidisciplinary European network. The Action promotes green synthesis, scalable production, functionalization and circular approaches based on reuse and recycling, while supporting the development of policy guidance. It also fosters knowledge sharing, standardization and industrial uptake, with a strong emphasis on inclusion for Young Researchers and Innovators and members from Inclusiveness Target Countries.
Three pillars: sustainability, circularity and artificial intelligence
SUSTAiROGELs (CA25170) is built around three interconnected pillars: sustainability, circularity and artificial intelligence (AI). The Action promotes energy- and resource-efficient production and sustainable-by-design approaches, while embedding reuse, recycling and circularity across the aerogel lifecycle. At the same time, AI-driven tools will be used to accelerate discovery, process optimization and sustainability assessment.
From research to applications
SUSTAiROGELs (CA25170) aims to translate research into practical solutions across sectors, including environmental remediation, biomedicine and food applications. AI-driven tools and the SUSTAiROGELs Data Hub, a shared open-access platform, will support discovery, process optimization and sustainability assessment, helping bridge laboratory research with real-world applications. The Action will also establish a forum for knowledge exchange and dissemination to society, while strengthening industry–academia interactions and supporting the next generation of European researchers and innovators. Training activities, including Training Schools, Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs) and Virtual Mobility, together with scientific publications and knowledge-exchange activities, will provide Young Researchers and Innovators with opportunities to develop research, innovation and entrepreneurial skills. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across materials science, engineering, digital technologies, life sciences and related disciplines, SUSTAiROGELs aims to advance innovative, integrated approaches to environmental and societal challenges. In the longer term, the Action seeks to accelerate the development and uptake of sustainable aerogel technologies, contributing to the well-being of European citizens and to cleaner, smarter and more sustainable production in Europe.
Supporting European priorities
SUSTAiROGELs (CA25170) contributes to European priorities on sustainability, circularity and artificial intelligence, supporting the objectives of the European Green Deal, Bioeconomy Strategy, Circular Economy Action Plan and Apply AI Strategy.
SUSTAiROGELs at a glance
| Action | CA25170 – SUSTAiROGELs |
| Full title | European Network for Sustainable Aerogels in Advanced Circular and AI-Enabled Applications |
| Duration | 16 September 2026 – 15 September 2030 |
| Action Chair | Prof. Patrina Paraskevopoulou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece – paraskevopoulou@chem.uoa.gr |
| Action Vice-Chair | Prof. Carlos A. García González, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain – carlos.garcia@usc.es |
| Grant Holder | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens |
| Grant Holder Manager | Ms Iro Dioti, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece – sustairogels@chem.uoa.gr |
| Programme | COST – European Cooperation in Science and Technology |
| Website | https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA25170/ |
| https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustairogels-cost-action/ |
About COST
COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a pan-European intergovernmental framework that supports research and innovation networks across Europe. Its mission is to enable scientific and technological developments by connecting researchers, engineers and scholars and facilitating the development of new ideas, collaborations and initiatives across fields of science and technology. COST Actions promote multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge exchange and capacity building, strengthening Europe’s research and innovation ecosystem while supporting the development of researchers at different career stages. www.cost.eu
Further information and media contact
COST Action page: https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA25170/
Memorandum of Understanding: Memorandum of Understanding (PDF)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sustairogels-cost-action/
Science Communication Coordinator: Dr Joana Barros – joana.barros@i3s.up.pt
Local/institutional contact:
Adél Len, senior researcher, Budapest Neutron Centre – len.adel@ek.hun-ren.hu
Local/institutional participants:
Zoltán Dudás, senior researcher, Budapest Neutron Centre – zoltan.dudas@ek.hun-ren.hu
László Almásy, senior researcher, Budapest Neutron Centre – laszlo.almasy[at]ek.hun-ren[dot]hu
Szimona Zarzsevszkij, postdoctoral researcher, Budapest Neutron Centre – zarzsevszkij.szimona@ek.hun-ren.hu
