The Chemistry/Chemical Engineering Interface in the UK report

We are pleased to attach a copy of a short report detailing the findings of a workshop exploring the relationship between chemistry and chemical engineering in the UK.  The workshop, which was sponsored by EPSRC and BBSRC, took place at Nutfield Priory in December 2004 and was attended by senior figures from the Institution of Chemical Engineers and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The workshop was inspired by “Beyond the Molecular Frontier” a groundbreaking report published by the US National Research Council, which treated chemistry and chemical engineering as one entity, making no distinction and referring to the whole field as the ‘chemical sciences’. 

“Beyond the Molecular Frontier” argued that in the US the two disciplines have already reached a high level of integration.  However, the picture in the UK is rather different.  In 2003 the EPSRC international Review of UK Chemistry Research took the view that “…in UK universities chemistry has little contact with chemical engineering”, a view shared by many in industry, academe and some government agencies.

The attached report is the first output from an ongoing engagement sponsored by RSC and IChemE aimed at encouraging collaboration, cooperation and synergy between our respective communities. It contains a number of thought provoking recommendations that may prove of interest to you and your colleagues, stimulating further debate within industry and academe.

We would be delighted to receive feedback and suggestions for further collaborative activity.

Yours sincerely

Rodney Townsend                                  Trevor Evans
Director, Science & Technology            Chief Executive
RSC                                                            IChemE