The European Commission promoted and financed the initiative through a competitive tender process. HEFESTOS will operate as a pilot cooperation framework to assess the feasibility of a future European Union Substitution Centre dedicated to brominated flame retardants.
Structured framework for industry cooperation
Brominated flame retardants have been widely used for decades to meet fire safety requirements in industrial applications. However, concerns about persistence, toxicity and bioaccumulation have intensified pressure to replace these substances with safer alternatives.
Although many companies have already started evaluating alternative solutions, progress has remained limited. Fragmented data, inconsistent methodologies and restricted opportunities for secure cross-sector cooperation continue to slow substitution efforts.
HEFESTOS aims to address these challenges by developing a harmonised and science-based framework for structured information exchange while ensuring compliance with confidentiality requirements and European Union competition law.
As coordinator, Aimplas will act as an independent technical secretariat. The organisation will facilitate cooperation between industrial stakeholders, research organisations, regulators and other relevant actors. The initiative does not introduce regulatory obligations. Instead, it provides a structured platform for organisations to exchange knowledge, discuss technical challenges and contribute to the identification of safer alternatives.
Roadmap for substitution strategies
The initiative will create a consolidated evidence base covering the use of brominated flame retardants, available alternatives and related value chains. HEFESTOS will also identify technical and information gaps and support the development of a European BFR Substitution Action Roadmap.
The roadmap will define coordinated and realistic substitution pathways while incorporating perspectives from stakeholders across the value chain.
Participation in HEFESTOS is open to industry representatives, research organisations, standardisation bodies and regulators. Organisations joining the Hub will complete a standardised onboarding process that includes a non-disclosure agreement and a memorandum of understanding to ensure a secure and competition-compliant environment.
Participants will be able to contribute through interviews, questionnaires, technical meetings and discussions on priority applications. Organisations may also join pilot actions or voluntary initiatives that support the transition to safer alternatives.
In addition, participating organisations will have the opportunity to present their logo and related initiatives on the HEFESTOS website, increasing visibility for their activities in sustainable and safe chemical management.
