Event Details

The Chemistry Department at Lancaster University is excited to announce a one-day Academia-Industry Symposium on Thursday 12th September to showcase research, connect with businesses and industry associations, and identify opportunities for collaborations to drive advances in the chemicals industry.

Chemistry At Lancaster University

Our chemistry research is divided into three themes around health, materials and energy. Our research staff, each at the forefront of research in their respective fields, are working in areas such as new materials for batteries and energy conversion and storage, electrochemical and photochemical processes, molecule-based materials for sensing, catalysis and drug discovery applications, and computational chemistry for the prediction of chemical properties and reactivity.

We are supported by our specialist Partnerships and Engagement Team who help external organisations tap into the right expertise and facilities from across the University and beyond. Together we blend the very best in chemical research with industrial partnerships to address real-world problems and train the next generation of chemists with the skills industry needs, and we welcome new partnerships.

Why Attend

• Find out about cutting-edge research in chemistry in health, materials and energy
• Learn about successful industry-academia collaborations and how they work in open Q&A panels
• Share your challenges with our researchers and partnerships team
• Find out how to access student talent through internships and projects with our MChem students
• Take a tour of our facilities, including the Chemistry Department and lab space in cTAP
• Recruitment opportunities and increased brand awareness from exhibiting/sponsorship (limited)
• Take time out to think about how your organisation could innovate and make new connections
• Fully catered and free event at our beautiful 560-acre parkland campus site

Celebrate our 60th with us!

The symposium takes place the week of the 60th Anniversary of Lancaster University as part of our celebrations and follows our Department's Research Conference the previous day. We welcome back our alumni and would love to hear about your journey after Lancaster University and see if we can work with you again.

Full programme

From 9:00 – registration and coffee - Management school foyer (outside LT18).

9:30 - 9:35 - Welcome by Prof Pete Atkinson (Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology).

9:35 -9:45 - Introduction to the Chemistry department and to the three research areas (health, materials, energy): Nick Evans (Head of Chemistry Department).

9:45 -10:35 - Research themes leads will highlight the cutting-edge research ongoing in the Department of Chemistry and the wide range of expertise available to collaborators: M. Paz Muñoz, John Fielden, John Griffin, Kathryn Toghill, Andy Kerridge.

10:35 – 11:10 - break (HUB area) + posters(LT16).

11:10 -11:30 – Presentation about FST facilities and cTAP : Nick Evans.

11:30-13:00 - Q&A panel open discussion showcasing projects led by industry/academia collaboration. Session chair Martin Gilmore.

Panel members:

Academics from LU:

John Griffin; Rachel Platel; John Hardy; Lorna Ashton (TBC).

Industrial partners from the Chemistry Industry Advisory Board

Victrex (James Sherrington) and Pam Pickles (LU's FST Student Engagement team); Yordas (Emma Miller).

Others: LU’s IP&commercialisation (Jess Wenmouth); Partnership and Business Engagement team (Steve Fish); Kyle Hatchard, from STFC – UKRI.

13:00-14:30 - lunch (HUB area) + posters(LT16). Optional tours of chemistry/cTAP at 13:45 – meet at 13:30 at registration desk.

14:30-15:30 – Two parallel sessions (LT14 (A floor) and LT19 (B floor) in management school):

Health Session (LT19):

14:30-14:45 AstraZeneca Tom James Towards Sustainable API Manufacture: Challenges and Opportunities

14:45-15:00 Pharmaron Loic Pantaine How can we develop the field of photocatalysis to break out of academia and into the pharmaceutical industry?

15:00-15:15 Concept Life Sciences Mark Betson Providing Solutions: Life in a Drug Discovery CRO

15:15-15:30 Apex Molecular Ben Moulton Supporting Academia through Chemistry Contract Research

Materials & Energy Session (LT14)

14:30-14:45 LiNa energy Richard Dawson Developing metal supported planar sodium metal chloride cells for energy storage applications

14:45-15:00 Cellmine Adam Taylor Lithium-ion battery recycling: Challenges and Opportunities

15:00-15:15 Sika John Barrat Short-term sustainability

15:15-15:30 Victrex James Sherrington Sustainable R&D for High Performance Polymers

15:30-16:30 - Round tables and discussion (LT14 and LT19 in Management School).

16:30 – Final remarks and conclusion and prize giving (LT18).

From 16:45 - Drinks and informal networking (HUB area).

Sponsorship and Exhibiting

We welcome inquiries from organisations wishing to increase brand awareness and support our event through sponsorship and exhibiting. Current sponsors are: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), RSC Lancashire Section, Shimadzu, Biosynth, Radleys, Huber, Advion-Interchim, Oxford Instruments, Yordas, Buchi, Apex Molecular and OCCA. Please contact us for more details.