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Official start of the D4SMD project

Collaborative project on sustainable medical device design receives funding, bringing together over 20 companies across the medical device value chain

The D4SMD (Design for Sustainable Medical Devices) project has been awarded funding by VLAIO under the COOCK+ instrument. This collaborative research initiative will run from 2026 until 2028 and represents a step forward in transforming the Flemish medical device industry towards sustainability

A Value Chain-Wide Collaboration

The project will be executed by the UGent design.nexus research group in partnership with Sirris. Further the project is supported by the cluster organizations Biovia and Catalisti. 

The project brings together supervision and guidance from more than 20 companies representing the full medical device value chain, from raw material suppliers and manufacturers to healthcare providers and waste processors.

This diverse consortium ensures that sustainability solutions are developed holistically, addressing challenges at every stage of a medical device's lifecycle. By bringing together stakeholders with different expertise and perspectives, we aim to create practical, implementable strategies that can be adopted industry-wide.

The project is executed by UGent design.nexus's SustaMED lab and Sirris, and further supported by the cluster organisations Biovia and Catalisti.

COOCK+ Instrument

The COOCK+ (Collective Research) instrument from VLAIO (Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship) supports collaborative research projects that address challenges facing Flemish industries. This funding mechanism is designed to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial application, ensuring that innovative solutions reach the market.

Key Objectives

Over the next two years, D4SMD will tackle the following objectives:

• Clarify and translate the legal medical (MDR) and sustainability requirements (e.g., REACH, RoHS, Packaging Directive, Single Use Plastics Directive, WEEE, ESPR), including synergies and contradictions between them, in the context of medical products. This involves identifying what is already legally permitted, what is not, and where conflicts exist.
• Link these requirements to ecodesign strategies (e.g., design for reprocessing and reuse, modularity, reversible joining techniques, design for recycling), and potential technical solutions (e.g., safer additives, biopolymers, recycled materials) so they can be integrated into their innovation and product development processes. Input from the chemical and plastics industries will be needed to assess technological and economic feasibility.
• Support companies throughout the product development cycle by helping them evaluate and prioritize alternatives and make informed decisions related to their environmental and economic performance using simplified LCA (life cycle assessment) and TEA (techno-economic assessment) tools.
• Apply and validate the methodology and toolkit to four selected case studies. The final case studies will be defined based on input from participating companies in the user committee, and will cover a range of medical products from non-invasive homecare devices to invasive consumables used in hospitals.

The project will deliver practical frameworks, design tools, and validated methodologies that companies can immediately implement in their product development processes.

Contact us if you want to participate in upcoming events, receive updates, or learn more about the D4SMD project.