Breakout Sessions
Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
As sustainability becomes an economic necessity, fundamentally new chemical transformations must be developed using green and sustainable chemistry and engineering to minimize environmental impact. Following the principle of “better to prevent waste than to clean up after it,” researchers need to replace harmful solvents and improve catalytic selectivity and efficiency in chemical reactions that also provide cost savings.
Presentations and discussion will explore issues of (molecular) design and engineering in the creation of more sustainable products.
Chemistry of Energy Sources
With fossil fuel production at or near its peak, the chemical industry is intensifying its search for alternative energy sources that are more abundant, renewable, and environmentally friendly. Methods that show promise include bio-based fuels and chemicals, fuel cells, hydrogen fuel, conventional and nanotechnology-enhanced advanced solar systems, wind turbines, methane hydrate from the sea floor, and safer, less wasteful nuclear power. Meanwhile innovations that minimize waste from generation to transmission to consumption lead to more efficient energy use.
Presentations and discussion in this session will focus on novel approaches for new energy sources, especially algae-based biofuels, as well as emerging nuclear technology for power generation.
Challenges for Water Resources
The availability of clean water for high-tech manufacturing in biotechnology, electronics, and other sectors; the minimization of water use within a chemical operation; and operation of a zero-discharge chemical plant offer challenges and opportunities to chemical innovation. As water-intensive manufacturing and populations continue to expand in regions such as India, China, and the American Southwest, water quality and availability issues are becoming urgent. The chemical industry must find new technologies for treating and delivering fresh water.
Presentations and discussion in this session will explore new processes to manufacture compounds using less water, materials to recoup water and transport fresh water over long distances, bioremediation and other techniques for cleaning water, nanotechnological approaches to potable water creation, and delivery of industrial quantities of clean water for new manufacturing centers in developing countries.
Emerging Global Economies
Globalization and the rapid growth of emerging economies present dramatic prospects for growth and diversification into new markets and new sites of innovation. Newly emerging economies in China, India, Latin America, and Eastern Europe boast sophisticated scientific and technical research infrastructures that have begun to rival those of advanced industrial countries. In the new “centers of excellence,” rapid progress is being made in virtually all aspects of applied chemistry and materials science, from energy and construction, to manufacturing processes.
Presentations and discussions in this session will focus on the multifaceted challenges of facilitating and streamlining the flow of knowledge between old and new centers, as well as the role of social, cultural, and political contexts in performing R&D. The presenters will speak from their extensive experiences in organizing the network of R&D outposts in various parts of the world in an age of globalization..
Organizational Strategies for Innovation
Technological innovation is typically a prolonged process, from the inception of a new idea to manufacturing and marketing of the final product. While innovation is at the heart of all high- technology enterprises, not all have been effective in dealing with the many pitfalls throughout the process. Maintaining a sound communication channel between the corporate laboratory and the operating divisions presents an obvious challenge. Observers have pointed out the difficulties that successful companies face in reaping the benefits of their own innovations. This breakout session will shed light on successful organizational strategies for sustaining technological innovation, with presentations by technology-management consultants and technology managers.