Topic: Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering  – Acting Together

Chemical engineering, biotechnology, and bioprocessing are more important than ever to meet current challenges such as climate change, circular economy, or pharmaceutical production. The event aims to stimulate a European and global dialogue among scientists from industry, university, and research institutions. They cover the whole range of relevant topics from laboratory research via process development and chemical reaction engineering to challenges from industrial practice and overarching topics such as quality management and education.

Conference topics include the European Green Deal and its opportunities for research and development in the process industry, the digital transformation, and the interplay between biotechnology, chemistry, process engineering and other relevant disciplines.

The 2021 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Benjamin List, Director of the Department of Homogeneous Catalysis at the Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung will present in his lecture the huge contributions catalysis can make to solving the current global challenges. Other pleanary talks include:

• (Bio)chemical engineers of the 21st century – Are we preparing them well for their professional future?
  Prof. Dr. Jarka Glassey, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
• Process Engineering in Food: Food security and Nutrition for all
  Dr. Christoph Hartmann, Head of Academic Alliances & Expertise Development, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland
• Affinity Proteins for Biotechnological and Medical Purposes
  Prof. Sophia Hober, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
• Plenary Lecture of the Early Career Chemical Engineers: A systems engineering approach for novel and sustainable value chains in life sciences
  Dr. Maria Papathanasiou, Imperial College London, UK
• We change the world and the world changes us: the Anthropocene through the lenses of evolution
  Prof. Telmo Pievani, University of Padua, Italy

In addition to a science slam, students will have the opportunity to enter their own model vehicle powered by (bio)chemical reactions in the ChemCar competition. The chemPLANT competition calls for theoretical knowledge and practical skills in process engineering. Both contests serve to exchange ideas and knowledge between companies and students. Furthermore, the creative young process engineers of the VDI-GVC together with the EFCE’s Early Career Chemical Engineers organise a programme tailor-made for students and doctoral candidates.