Sara Canedo, F6S
September 2026
Leading the Green Transition in Tribology SITOLUB'S Impact at Lubricant Expo Europe
The future of lubrication is being rewritten, and the conversations that took place at Messe Düsseldorf made a point that sustainability and high performance can, and must, go hand in hand. As a Europe’s important lubricant exhibition, Lubricant Expo Europe brought together over 5,000 attendees and 280 exhibitors from more than 80 countries, connecting solution providers with the entire chemical, equipment, and end-user supply chain.
For SITOLUB, this event was a great stage to showcase to all how digital innovation is trying to solve the some of the industry’s pressing regulatory challenges.
Stand 990: AI meets Tribology
Throughout the three-day event, Stand 990 served as a hub for discussions around R&D. Visitors had the opportunity to connect with project coordinator Francesco Pagano, alongside our expert partners:
- AC2T research GmbH: Showcasing advanced tribology testing, material characterization, and sensor technology development. Visitors connected directly with Michele Schirru and Dr. Lucia Pisarova to discuss the future of AI in lubricant formulation.
- i-TRIBOMAT (The European Tribology Centre): Represented by Xavier Borras, i-TRIBOMAT demonstrated how industry can gain easy access to over 130 tribometers and characterisation setups across Europe through their unique Tribology Universe platform.
Through live video demos, comprehensive solution guides, and one-on-one consultations, the booth team demonstrated how SITOLUB acts as a powerful R&D enabler.
By combining Generative AI with a multidisciplinary computational platform, SITOLUB allows manufacturers to ensure uncompromising performance alongside deep safety and sustainability insights, moving far beyond basic Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) metrics.
Presentations and Expert Panels
The expo was packed with interesting sessions, and the SITOLUB consortium was involved in some of them:
- Accelerating R&D with Computational Platforms
During her dedicated presentation, Dr. Lucia Pisarova (AC2T) broke down exactly how SITOLUB’s platform accelerates R&D timelines and cuts costs. She highlighted five core capabilities of the tool:
- Fastly identifying safe replacements for problematic additives like Chloroparaffins, PTFE, TPPT, Benzotriazole, and PFPE base oils.
- Engineering safe, high-performing additives, base oils, and final formulations from the ground up using “Safe and Sustainable by Design” (SSbD) principles.
- Testing additives and formulations against each other under application-relevant conditions.
- Gaining foresight into stability, efficiency, and durability before physical testing begins.
- Maximizing performance by factoring in material, geometry, surface characteristics, and operational conditions.
- Spotlight on AI & Data
- Track 1 Panel: Lubricants Beyond Performance
On Day 3, SITOLUB partners took over the full stage at the closing session: “Lubricants Beyond Performance: Turning Regulatory & Sustainability Pressure into Competitive Advantage.”
The panel featured powerful with insights from industry to academia discussion current state of the industry, regulatory challenges, circularity within the lubricant industry and sustainability data as trust value:
- Dr. Parvin Zare (MOTOREX)
- Dr. Jonas Hoffmann (GreenDelta GmbH)
- Davide Don (Fraunhofer Italia – IEC)
- Oskar Vögler (Carbon Minds, External Advisory Board SITOLUB)
The core takeaway from the talks and the following discussion was clear: transitioning to sustainable formulations is no longer just about regulatory compliance or avoiding hazardous substances. Companies that embrace proactive sustainability design will turn these industry pressures into a distinct competitive edge.
Check out the presentations:
Join the Open Call for Validators
The conversations started in Düsseldorf and are just the beginning.
SITOLUB is currently offering companies a unique opportunity to participate in a FREE external validation of the platform via our Open Call. This is your chance to leverage cutting-edge computational tools to benchmark your own additives, predict long-term performance, and design safer formulations at zero cost.
Deadline to apply: 6 October
Apply by sending an email to our coordinatort Francesco Pagano: francesco.pagano@tekniker.es
The shift toward sustainable, high-performance lubrication is accelerating.
By bringing together the best in AI, tribology, and life cycle analysis, SITOLUB is proud to equip the industry with the tools needed to lead that transition!