Overview

The manufacture of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals traditionally involves multi-step reactions and physical operations such as mixing, heating, cooling, filtering, drying and tabletting. Scale-up is focussed mainly on bringing the product to the mass market; however, topical issues such as effective use of raw materials and energy, reducing the number of process steps, efficient separations, and lowering carbon emissions also need to be considered.

This one-day meeting will explore how future manufacturing plants will need to evolve as we strive towards net-zero carbon processes and respond to the depletion of traditional resources. Topics will include: multi-step synthesis and reactor design, process integration and control, catalysis and selectivity enhancement, the application of big data and machine learning, atom efficiency, sustainability and robotics.

A mix of keynote, oral and poster presentations will showcase the advances being made in Factories for the Future.

Programme

• 10:00–10:55
  Registration, coffee and putting up posters
  
  
• 10:55–11:00
  Opening remarks
  
  
• 11:00–11:45
  Keynote speaker 1: Prof. Richard Bourne, University of Leeds
  Industry 4.0: Self-optimised development of Pharmaceutical Processes
  
  
• 11:45–12:30
  Keynote speaker 2: Dr Carl Helmut Coulon, Head of Innovation, INVITE, Leverkusen, Germany
  Beyond classical automation: Modern Robotics in Factories of the Future
  
  
• 12:30–13:30
  Lunch and posters
  
  
• 13:30–14.15
  Keynote speaker 3: Professor Alexei Lapkin, University of Cambridge
  Digitalisation of R&D and Manufacturing in Pharma
  
  
• 14.15–14:45
  Short talks from early-career researchers (3 x 10 min)
  

  Probabilistic machine learning based soft-sensors for product quality prediction in batch processes
  Max Mowbray, Harry Kay, Sam Kay, Amanda Lane, Cesar Mendoza, Philip Martin and Dongda Zhang

  Concept for a Novel Process for the Glycolysis of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)
  Guido Grause, Joe Sutton, Andrew Dove and Joe Wood

  M²E³D: Multiphase Materials Exploration via Evolutionary Equation Discovery
  Andrei Leonard Nicusan, Mehdi Jangi, Jonathan Seville. Kit Windows-Yul
• 14:45–15:30
  Keynote speaker 4: Dr Elfie Cavalli, Syngenta 
  Biorenewable Feedstocks in Agrochemical Innovation: Opportunities and Challenges
  
  
• 15:30–16:00
  Coffee
  
  
• 16:00–16:45
  Keynote speaker 5: Dr Julia Creasey, Croda
  Life Cycle Assessment: a solution to achieving sustainability goals beyond factory gates
  
  
• 16:45–17:15
  Panel discussion
  
  
• 17:15–18:00
  Closing remarks and wine reception

Abstracts

Early-career researchers wishing to give a short talk are encouraged to submit a one-page abstract to Prof Joe Wood by 16 December 2022 with "Factories for the Future – short talk abstract" in the subject line.

Anyone wishing to present a poster should submit a one-page abstract to Prof Joe Wood by 27 January 2023 with " Factories for the Future – poster abstract" in the subject line.

Price

• IChemE or SCI member rate (including VAT): £50.00 early bird (£100.00 after 9 March 2023)
• Non-member rate (including VAT): £120.00 early bird (£170.00 after 9 March 2023)
• IChemE or SCI student member rate (including VAT): £35.00 early bird (£50.00 after 9 March 2023)
• Subsidised IChemE or SCI student member rate (retired or unemployed) (including VAT): £35.00 early bird (£50.00 after 9 March 2023)