IChemE president heads inquiry into sector research in UK
3 Apr 2026
IChemE has launched an inquiry into the state of chemical engineering research in the UK, headed by its president Raffaella Ocone.
The organisation said it would “examine the strength, direction and long-term sustainability of the UK’s research base at a time of increasing economic, environmental and geopolitical pressure”.
It added that chemical engineering research underpinned sectors central to the country’s prosperity, such as energy, manufacturing, materials, health, food and water, as net zero transition.
A resilient and internationally competitive research ecosystem was therefore of “fundamental strategic importance” it said in a statement.
Evidence is being sought from industry, government and academia, with the object of investigating to what degree research and national priorities including the Government’s Industrial Strategy align together.
Funding, talent pipelines and collaboration between stakeholders will also be scrutinised in order to identify provision gaps.
Submissions are invited by 23:59 on Friday 1 May and should be forwarded for consideration to policy@icheme.org. Topics can reference sector health, emerging research demand, skills, international collaboration and scaling of research into industrial impact. Contributors may have opportunities for involvement in discussions, roundtables and oral evidence sessions.
Said Ocone (pictured): “Insights gathered will help shape a more resilient, impactful and internationally competitive chemical engineering research ecosystem, culminating in a report with key findings and recommendations for the sector.”
The inquiry follows the release of IChemE’s recent member employment survey, which highlighted extensive concern among respondents about both training and access to new recruits.
Nearly half of respondents (45%) noted technical skills shortages specific to their sector, while 40% of employer respondents mentioned a lack of mid-career candidates and 22% complained the sector suffered from a lack of awareness among young people.
The survey involved 2,503 IChemE members and 875 employers between November and December 2025, with participants at all career levels.
