Welcome to Ljubljana and to the Future of Plastic (R)evolution Conference – a meeting point for science, policy, innovation and society, bringing together people working towards cleaner, healthier and more resilient oceans and waters.
We gather around one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time: micro- and nanoplastics and chemicals of environmental concern, their effects on the environment and our lives, and the challenge of making what has long remained invisible – visible, understandable and actionable.
But seeing the problem is only the beginning.
From cutting-edge monitoring science and new approaches to understanding pollution, to governance, practical solutions, replication and upscaling, the Future of Plastic (R)evolution programme follows the journey from evidence to action. It asks not only what we know, but how that knowledge can lead to solutions that work beyond individual projects, laboratories and pilot sites.
The conference is expected to bring together more than 300 participants from across Europe and beyond, connecting a diverse community of leading scientists, policymakers, innovators, project partners, representatives of cities and ports, industry and other actors working towards cleaner and more resilient oceans and waters.
Participants will have the opportunity to hear first-hand from researchers and innovators working at the forefront of their fields, exchange perspectives with those developing and implementing solutions, and take part in conversations about what is needed to turn scientific knowledge and promising ideas into real-world impact.
At the heart of the conference is a unique moment of transition, continuity and new beginnings. The Future of Plastic (R)evolution Conference is proudly co-organised by the EU Mission Ocean and Waters projects REMEDIES and REMEDIES 5.0, both coordinated by the National Institute of Chemistry.
The event brings the two projects together at a defining point in their journeys: as REMEDIES reaches its conclusion, REMEDIES 5.0 begins. It is both an opportunity to reflect on what has been achieved and a starting point for what comes next – creating a bridge between the knowledge, innovations, partnerships and experience built through REMEDIES and a new phase focused on taking successful solutions further.
Participants will have the opportunity to discover selected innovations and solutions developed within REMEDIES, meet the researchers and innovators behind them, and hear first-hand about the challenges and opportunities involved in moving from research and demonstration towards real-world implementation.
At the same time, the conference looks ahead. Through REMEDIES 5.0 and the wider Mission Ocean and Waters community, the conversation turns towards replication, upscaling, wider uptake and the partnerships needed to bring successful approaches to new regions, cities, ports and communities across Europe and beyond.
In this sense, the conference is not simply an ending or a beginning. It is a meeting point between experience and ambition – connecting what has been learned with what can be achieved next.
And the conversation will not stop at the doors of the conference hall. It will continue on the Ljubljanica River, through the creative environment of Center Rog, and into an evening dedicated to networking and a different kind of reflection on water, society and our shared future.
To extend these conversations beyond Ljubljana, selected parts of the conference will also be live-streamed, opening the programme to a wider international audience and extending the reach of the ideas, solutions and collaborations presented throughout the day.
Whether you come from research, policy, industry, innovation, a city or region, a European project, or simply with an interest in the future of our oceans and waters, the Future of Plastic (R)evolution is an invitation to exchange perspectives, discover solutions, build new connections and become part of what happens next.
Think deeper. Connect broader. Act bolder.
Let Ljubljana – a city shaped by water – inspire our collective vision for a cleaner and more resilient future and our contribution to the EU Mission to Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030.