ChimSep · Chemistry improvement thanks to Separation by membrane processes

Two of the major hurdles for the chemical industry transition toward the “chemical factory of the future” are the ability to design (i) efficient and selective catalytic transformations of renewables and (ii) eco-efficient separation processes to retrieve and purify the product(s) and catalyst(s). Future generations of researchers (academic &industry) will need to be trained and equipped with these expertise that constitute the main goal of ChimSep. ChimSep aims at establishing an inter-disciplinary and inter-sectoral European Joint Doctorate programme offering challenging and innovative research and training in sustainable catalytic synthesis and sustainable membrane separation processes. The network is based on 7 academics, 7 industrials partners and 1 bio-economy cluster. Such a network gathering internationally renowned experts in the two topics has never been built-up and carried in Europe. ChimSep will implement an unprecedented and high-level training programme in order to provide the 13 Doctorate Candidates (DC) with a double culture/competency in both chemical synthesis and membrane separation. The capability of future European researchers to work at the interface of different domains and to master the entire process chain is a key to increase the competitiveness of European chemical research and industry by the progressive replacement of distillation by membrane processes at least 10 times less energy consuming. Each DC will benefit from training through a research project conducted in two academic sites plus a secondment in industry. DCs will acquire complementary soft skills provided during network events, interdisciplinary summer schools, workshops and a collective research project. All DCs will be hosted few months by industrials. Furthermore, ChimSep has designed an innovative supervision policy to favour fruitful exchanges between DC and senior scientists providing an exceptional training experience, through extensive research and complementary skills development.