This document discusses how chemical engineers can capitalize on the bioscience revolution to ensure their survival and success. It notes that most of the world's energy, chemicals, and materials are currently derived from fossil fuels but that there is a growing push for more sustainable, low-carbon and bio-based alternatives. The document outlines trends in industries like biofuels, bioplastics, and industrial biotechnology that chemical engineers could contribute to. It also summarizes strategies for the Institution of Chemical Engineers to collaborate more across disciplines like chemistry and biology, improve training, foster innovation, and guide roadmaps for industrial biotechnology.

1. Chemical engineers and the survival of the
fittest
– capitalising on the bioscience revolution
President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers
Wednesday 13 May 2009

3. It started about here!

4. George Matt Ron
Whitesides Tirrell Breslow

5. Chemical engineers and the survival of the
fittest – capitalising on the bioscience
revolution

6. Greg Ramesh Richard
Lewin Mashelkar Darton
Boundaryless
+ Globalisation + Wealth
Collaboration Creation
Accelerated
Evolution

7. Charles Robert Darwin FRS
1809 - 1882

8. On the Origin of Species
Published 1859

9. Charles John Gregor
Lyell FRS Herschel FRS Mendel
1797-1875 1792-1871 1822-1884

10. “Evolution does not necessarily mean slow…”

11. Geological Time
Spans
Years x106
Human Time
Spans
Years x103
Civilisation Time
Spans
Years x102
Business Time
Spans
Years x101

12. Global Trends and Drivers

13. Source: Royal Geographical Society

14. Eritrea
Children gather wood for Fuel in Eritrea 2008

15. Coal Mining at Haltwhistle, Northumberland circa 1900

16. Drake‟s well at Titusville, Pennsylvania 1858

18. Four Magnox reactors at Calder Hall, Sellafield in the mid 1970‟s

19. We currently consume 84 million barrels of oil each day
We consume two barrels of oil for every barrel discovered
It took 125 years to use the first trillion barrels
We will use the next trillion barrels in just 30 years
Source: Uppsala HydroCarbon Depletion Study Group

20. Principle Source: New Scientist, Earth’s Natural Wealth article by David Cohen - 23 May 2007.

21. Biofuels
Clean
Coal
Nuclear

22. • 93% of production materials
do not end up in saleable
products
• 80% of products are discarded
after a single use
• 99% of materials used in the
production of, or contained
within goods, are discarded in
the first six weeks
Source: Factor Four

23. “Demands a bioscience revolution…”
Limited resources of raw Low carbon
materials & energy dependency
+ Driving Towards +
Global warming Knowledge
based
bio-economy
Increasing move towards bio-based production of
energy, transport fuels, chemicals and related materials
to meet sustainable needs of 21st century

25. DO NOT
FOLD, BEND, SPIND
LE OR
MUTILATE!
Hollerith Card

27. Human Chromosomes

28. Image: NIH Chemical Genomics Center/J.Mainquist

29. Images: NIH Chemical Genomics Center/J.Mainquist, CCR Hong Kong UST, Kibron inc

30. “What is it?”

32. ?
All the major facets of society and economic activity, both in the
UK and globally, and including the manufacturing industry, are
being challenged to demonstrate their sustainability. Most of the
world‟s power is fossil fuel based; similarly many chemicals,
plastics, pharmaceuticals and healthcare products are
manufactured from petrochemical feedstocks. The aim is for a
low carbon, knowledge-based, economy that includes the use
of sustainable bio-based products, and a future society that
is no longer wholly dependent on fossil fuels for energy
and industrial raw materials….
IB-IGT Scoping Statement, February 2008

34.  Fibre base material
 Bio plastics and bio polymers
 Surfactants
 Bio solvents
 Bio lubricants
 Bio fuels
 Bio feedstocks and platform chemicals
 Vaccines
 Enzymes
Being developed by „traditional‟ industry players including
Akzo Nobel, Croda, Ineos and Shell for use in the
construction, automotive, cosmetics, detergents, paints, adhesi
ves,
inks, paper, fuels, pharmaceuticals and healthcare sectors
€225 billion global market for novel chemical by 2030
Source: McKinsey & Co.

35. “From genes to mega tonnes…”

36. Codexis and Shell
Super enzymes for next-generation biofuels
Pilot plant operation to develop new super enzymes to convert biomass to fuel

37. Kalypsys
Highly automated small molecule drug discovery platform
Kalypsys utilises HTS to target widespread diseases and unmet medical needs
including pain/inflammation and metabolic problems

38. Ineos
Waste feedstocks for renewable polymers, chemicals and fuels
Unlocking the potential of waste

39. Aquapharm
Pioneers in marine biotechnology
Facilities for the fermentation and culture optimisation of marine micro-organismsan

40. Chemical Science + Biological Science
+
= Successful Industrial Biotechnology

41. IB is not a panacea
Hydrocarbons are not dead and buried, but the carbon will be...
Source: Total

42. “This really is about the survival of the fittest...”

43. Scaling Up
An Institution that has evolved and survived....

44. Long Term Membership Trends
IChemE Membership 1923 - 2008
35000 100%
90%
30000
Corporate Members 80%
Total Membership
25000 70%
% Corporate Members
60%
20000
50%
15000
40%
30%
10000
20%
5000
10%
0 0%
Year
Institution membership has enjoyed almost continuous
growth since its foundation in 1922, however the proportion
of full Corporate Members has declined to 40% (RH Axis)

45. UK Undergraduate Intake
The Ten Year Trend – Chemical & Process Engineering
1700
1640
1600
1500
1465
1400
1364
1300 1317 1306
1262
1200 1203
1100 1095 1098
1000
979 979 1000
940
900
800
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
The Chemical Engineering Intake has risen by almost 75%
since 2001 and now exceeds the peak intake of the 1990‟s

46. whynotchemeng in action!
The Top Ten Flash Bang Demonstrations
Judith Hackitt demonstrates the „Flaming Hands‟

47. Female Undergraduate
30 Engineers
UK Trends 2002 - 2008
% 25
Chemical Engineering
20
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical and Electronic
15 Engineering
Civil Engineering
10 Aerospace Engineering
General Engineering
5
0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
The proportion of women studying chemical engineering
at first degree level is consistently 10-15 points ahead of
comparable engineering disciplines

48. Distribution of IChemE
Membership 2008
REST OF WORLD TOTAL WORLDWIDE MEMBERSHIP 2009
15% UK
IRELAND 65%
3%
MALAYSIA
7%
AUSTRALIA
10%
Base : 29482
35% of the IChemE membership is domiciled outside the UK up from 29%
a decade previously and the trend is set to continue

49. Melbourne, Australia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Singapore
Rugby, England
Shanghai, China
London, England
With 35% of membership based outside the UK
and offices in five countries, IChemE is an
international organisation

50. Rising to the challenge of
accelerated evolution
The future direction for the Institution

51. Rising to the challenge of
accelerated evolution
 Larger membership
 Bigger influence
 Broader membership
 Greater influence
 Industry diversity
 Disciplinary interaction
 Focussed on value delivery
The future direction for the Institution

52. Capitalising on the bioscience
revolution
 Collaborate with chemistry and biology
 Improve synergy and connectivity
 Training and development
 Innovation and knowledge transfer
 Outreach and influence
 Roadmap development for IB
A strategy for success

53. Chemical engineers and the survival of the
fittest
– capitalising on the bioscience revolution
President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers
Wednesday 13 May 2009

55. Darwin‟s outstretched finger within inches of Adam?
With apologies to Michelangelo and visitors to the Sistine Chapel