Presidential Blog: Connecting at Chemeca and beyond

In September, I had the privilege of travelling to Malaysia and Australia – continuing the commitment I made in my Presidential Address to meet and listen to as many of our members as possible.

My first stop was Kuala Lumpur, where I visited Heriot- Watt Malaysia, as well as Petronas. Both visits were incredibly insightful. The student community was vibrant, engaged and impressively professional in how they hosted our visit. There was a strong appetite for collaboration – from students to industry leaders – and it was clear that companies are willing to partner with the Institution on areas of shared interest. This reinforces the importance of IChemE creating an environment that fosters connection and collaboration. We must be meaningful to our members, nurturing a community where ideas and innovation can thrive.

One of the most urgent themes that emerged was the need to bridge the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) gap – working together towards the scaling up of responsible and sustainable innovation. That is not just a goal, but a necessity. While in Malaysia, I also hosted a “Meet the President” evening, and it was truly a pleasure to connect with so many members, volunteers and friends. These face-to-face conversations are invaluable.

From there, I travelled to Adelaide, Australia, to attend Chemeca2025 and Hazards Australasia. It was a packed and inspiring few days: I delivered a plenary, hosted a Fellows’ breakfast, and had the chance to engage with both students and professionals.

Chemeca was a highlight. I was struck by the number of industrialists and academics who actively participated. The conference had a dynamic format, including panel discussions, a student hackathon, and a particularly thought-provoking practical session on turbulence and its implications for health and safety in aviation. The session explored how, with appropriate adjustments, insights from this related discipline could be applied to challenges in chemical engineering.

Two panels really impressed me – one on leadership and the other on neurodiversity in engineering. Both sparked honest conversations about inclusion and reminded me how much work we still have to do to build a profession that is truly inclusive, welcoming and supportive for all. Considering that this issue of The Chemical Engineer is focused on ethics, I’d like to stress even more how these sessions made me reflect deeply on how we continue to embed ethical thinking into everything we do as professionals.

In my plenary, I spoke about the role of chemical engineering in a fast-changing world. Innovation is not optional – it is imperative. But innovation won’t happen in isolation. We need to collaborate across disciplines, industries and borders to fill the TRL gap and bring emerging technologies to life. In both Malaysia and Australia, I listened to the hopes, concerns and ideas of our members. These conversations matter deeply and I look forward to continuing them.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers and students who made these visits so rewarding. Without our volunteers, we simply could not do what we do. And without our students, there is no future.

If you would like to discuss any of the points raised or have ideas you would like to share, you can contact me at president@icheme.org