The Inaugural Lecture of Professor Tony Kiss (followed by wine reception in B Floor, Renold Building)
Driving sustainable innovation in chemical engineering
Abstract
The modern society faces many challenges of improving quality of life and economic prosperity while also trying to reduce the impact and footprint of humankind activities on the environment. In this context, chemical engineering plays a strong role in driving sustainable innovation for a better world.
The lecture will highlight key examples illustrating the substantial progress made on several topics:
- Energy efficient chemical processes that exceed operational excellence and strive for tangible breakthroughs by sustainable process integration and intensification using a systems approach.
- Development of bio-based chemicals and energy area where lays a whole world of undiscovered innovations in biofuels production, biomass refining and introduction of new separation methods
- Value creation from waste, which is made possible by developing and optimising new processing methods and separation processes, and by improving strategies to reduce/recycle/reuse waste
The chair aims to conduct research that is fundamentally interesting and with important applications, while at the same being innovative, impactful, insightful, inspiring, and also invaluable to the society. Frequent interactions between industry and academia are needed to enhance the practical skills of the students, provide talent for industry, and foster open-innovation projects that make sustainable growth possible. Linked to the Process Integration Research Consortium, the plan is to build more bridges across the industrial and academic research in the field of chemical process technology.
About Tony Kiss
Anton A. Kiss (Tony) is a professor & chair in chemical engineering at The University of Manchester (UK) and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holder. His main research interests include process systems engineering, process intensification, and separation technology. Tony holds a PhD from the University of Amsterdam. In the Netherlands, he held a senior project manager position at AkzoNobel – Research, Development & Innovation, and a part-time professorship at the University of Twente. During the past decades, he carried out numerous research & industrial projects, published several textbooks, book chapters, patents, and 100+ scientific articles. In addition, he won several prestigious awards such as Hoogewerff Jongerenprijs, and AkzoNobel Innovation Excellence Award.
