Wednesday 21 January 2026, 12:30 – 15:30 and
Thursday 22 January 2026, 09:00 – 15:30
Newcastle University, Stephenson Building, NE1 7RU
Event summary
Join us at the second EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training Process Industries: Net Zero (PINZ) 2026 Conference for an engaging day and a half of connection, discovery, and innovation. This event brings together researchers, industry leaders, and stakeholders to explore the latest progress in student-led research within the EPSRC PINZ Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT).
Expect insightful presentations, valuable networking opportunities, and fresh perspectives from across the process industries as we work towards a net zero future.
Day 1 will include a collaborative session uniting academics and industry to explore future industry challenges and co-develop project opportunities.
Day 2 will highlight the real-world research of Cohorts 1 and 2 as they address the net-zero challenges of their industrial partners, alongside direct insights from industry leaders on their current hurdles, offering valuable opportunities for networking and collaboration.
Day 1 Agenda
12:30 – 13:15 Registration and Lunch
13:15 – 13:30 Introduction: EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training Process Industries: Net Zero
13:30 – 14:00 Technical overview: Newcastle University Process Intensification Group (PIG) and University of York Green Chemistry Centre for Excellence (GCCE)
14:00 – 15:30 Interactive session
This interactive session brings together industry professionals and academic experts to spark collaboration around shared challenges and innovation opportunities. In the session, academics will deliver concise elevator pitches showcasing their expertise, while facilitators help each group uncover barriers, explore potential solutions, and identify areas ripe for partnership. It’s a dynamic way for industry to tap into the specialist knowledge at Newcastle and York, and for academics to gain insight into real-world priorities.
16:00-17:30 Industrial Advisory Board Meeting
Day 2 Agenda
09:00 – 09:30 Registration and Refreshments
09:30 – 09:45 Welcome and Opening Remarks
09:45 – 10:15 Keynote Speaker
Further details to follow
10:15-10:30 Funder perspective
Karen Davies, EPSRC Portfolio Manager
10:30 – 10:45 Morning Break
10:45 – 12:15 PINZ CDT Cohort 2 Students: Flash presentations
12:15 – 13:15 Networking lunch and poster display
13:15 – 14:00 Industry perspective
Further details to follow
14:00 – 15:00 PINZ CDT Cohort 1 Students: Industry research project updates
15:00 – 15:15 Summer placements overview
15:15 – 15:30 Closing remarks
15:30 Close
If you have issues accessing the Registration form, please contact us at pinz.cdt@newcastle.ac.uk.
PINZ CDT students attend this year’s event at Newcastle University
On Friday 10 October, we were delighted to host the students from both Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 for our 2025 PINZ CDT Welcome Event at the School of Engineering, Newcastle University.
Over lunchtime, students joined a meeting of the Process Intensification Research Group (PIG), to hear presentations by Salome Usakuhyel Raymond and Ben Chapman, two Cohort 1 students from the University of York. Salome and Ben shared updates on their ongoing research projects in collaboration with industry partners, highlighting the real-world impact of their work.
Following the research session, students took part in the Welcome Event itself, offering an introduction to the CDT programme and an opportunity to connect with their peers and staff.
The day concluded with a relaxed early evening social – the perfect way to foster new connections and celebrate the collaborative spirit that defines our CDT community.
PINZ CDT Cohort 1 – Left to right: Louise Amor-Seabrooke, Salome Usakuhyel Raymond, Abubakar Kuburi, Vaishnavi Jambhorkar, Ben Chapman, Zuhair Ali, Abdul Samad
PINZ CDT Cohort 2 – Left to right: Aditya Tiwari, Kyle McLean, Max Atkinson, Alex Bradley, Kudzaishe Chiwara, Annabel Bowkett, Kypros Iakovou, Aarcha Kudzaishe Chiwara, Sam Bury, Robyn Haley, Amy Lumsdon, Dominic Gardiner
Cohort 1 students present to the Process Intensification Research Group
On Friday 10 October, had the pleasure of seeing two of our students, Salome Usakuhyel Raymond and Ben Chapman, present their ongoing research to the Process Intensification Group (PIG) at Newcastle University. Their work, developed with industry sponsors Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. and Johnson Matthey, sparked insightful discussions.
