The ASPIS cluster has played a pivotal role in advancing New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA), and evidence-based approaches to chemical safety assessment. Beyond the development of individual methods and models, these initiatives have highlighted a broader challenge: how to transform rapidly expanding volumes of data into trusted knowledge, actionable evidence, and ultimately wiser decisions. This presentation reflects on our journey within the ASPIS cluster, drawing on experiences from RISK-HUNT3R and related initiatives to explore the evolution of FAIR knowledge infrastructures, mechanistically informed workflows, and integrated evidence-generation approaches. Examples are presented illustrating the development of knowledge infrastructures supporting data harmonisation, provenance, workflow transparency, knowledge graph modelling, AI-assisted evidence integration, and structured decision-support frameworks such as ASPA workflows. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of human–AI collaboration in scientific and regulatory workflows. While artificial intelligence offers powerful capabilities for information retrieval, data integration, modelling, and evidence synthesis, trusted decision-making requires transparent workflows, mechanistic understanding, expert interpretation, and explicit treatment of uncertainty. The presentation discusses how AI-assisted systems can augment rather than replace scientific expertise, enabling more efficient and reproducible evidence-based assessments. Looking beyond the ASPIS programme, the talk considers how the foundations established through FAIR data practices, interoperable knowledge resources, computational workflows, and collaborative scientific communities can support future applications in Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD), predictive regulatory science, and next-generation innovation ecosystems. Ultimately, the ASPIS legacy may be measured not only by the data, methods, and tools it has generated, but by its contribution to building trusted knowledge infrastructures and evidence-centred approaches capable of supporting safer, more sustainable, and more informed decision-making for society.
Barry Hardy (Tue,) studied this question.