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UK Sustainable Chemicals Summit

  • Wilton Centre Redcar TS10 4RF (map)
 
 

Purpose: Join Pioneer Group and the UK Alliance for Sustainable Chemicals and Materials (UK-ASCM), for this exciting event focused on driving innovation, collaboration, and a greener future for the chemical industry.

Join industry leaders, innovators, policymakers, and researchers at the UK Sustainable Chemicals Summit 2025, the premier event dedicated to advancing sustainability in the chemicals sector.

As the UK accelerates towards net zero and a circular economy, this summit provides a vital platform to explore cutting-edge solutions, foster strategic partnerships, and shape the future of sustainable chemical production and use.

Why Attend?

  • Thought Leadership: Hear from top voices in government, academia, and industry on defossilisation, green chemistry, and policy alignment.

  • Innovation Showcase: Discover breakthrough technologies and sustainable practices driving transformation across the chemical value chain.

  • Collaborative Action: Engage in interactive panels, workshops, and networking opportunities designed to spark cross-sector collaboration and investment.

Agenda:

09:45 Registration and Refreshments

10:15 Welcome

Toby Reid, Pioneer Group

10:20 The Current UK landscape for Sustainable Chemicals: An overview of the UK’s sustainable chemicals sector today—highlighting key initiatives, market drivers, and innovation opportunities, as well as the challenges shaping future growth.

TBC

Session One: UK Sustainable Chemicals & Materials Landscape

10:30 UK Circular Economy Strategy: An exploration of the UK’s approach to building a circular economy—examining current strategies, policy priorities, and the role of innovation in driving sustainable growth.

 TBC

10:50 Opportunities for the Chemicals Sector in delivering the UK Industrial Strategy: This session explores how the chemicals sector can play a central role in meeting the UK’s Industrial Strategy—driving innovation, supporting clean growth, and strengthening national competitiveness.

Dr Ekta Ryani, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, DSIT

Katherine Cameron, Scottish Enterprise (Invited)

TBC, DESNZ (Invited)

TBC, DBT (Invited)

11:10 National Materials Innovation Strategy: A look at the UK’s National Materials Innovation Strategy—its goals, priority areas, and how it can accelerate the development of sustainable, high-performance materials for industry.

Professor Suzanne Halden, Project Lead, National Materials Innovation Strategy, ScotChem

11:25 Innovate UK Business Connect Sustainable Chemicals Innovation Network: An introduction to the network and UK sustainable chemicals landscape map

Dr Peter Clark, Innovate UK Business Connect

11:45 Live Poll: What’s the Temperature? Polling Views on UK Chemicals & Net Zero Goals

Dr Mark Corbett, Director, Biorenewables Development Centre

12:00 Lunch and Pre-bookable 1-1 meetings

Session Two: Smart Regulation for Sustainable Chemicals and Materials


13:00 Bio-based and Biodegradable Materials Regulatory Science and Innovation (BB-REG-NET) Network: BB-REG-NET is a pioneering network uniting experts from academia, industry, policy, regulatory bodies and NGOs. Hear about their upcoming White Paper ‘Bio-Based Policy for People & Planet’.

Dr Jen Vanderhoven, COO, BBIA

13:15 Life Cycle Assessment Regulatory Science and Innovation Network (LCARSIN): Hear about research from LCARSIN on how the foundation industries use life cycle assessment tools to reduce their environmental impact.

Professor Rachel Rothman, University of Sheffield

13:30 Royal Society of Chemicals Roadmap and Polymers in Liquid Formulation: Hear about the next steps for the roadmap.

Professor Anju Massey-Brooker and Stephanie Stephanie Metzger, Royal Society of Chemistry

13:45 The need for a UK biomass hierarchy and sustainability criteria

Liam Hardy, Head of Research, Green Alliance

Adrian Higson, MD, Alder BioInsights (Invited)

14:15 Break

Session Three: UK Hubs for Sustainable Chemicals Innovation and Manufacturing


14:30 Process Industries Net Zero: Green Chemistry and Process Intensification for Sustainable Manufacturing

Ryan Siddall, Innovation & Partnerships Manager, Newcastle University

14:45 Mini Workshop: Carbon-Loop Sustainable Biomanufacturing Hub (C-Loop)

Professor Louise Horsfall, University of Edinburgh

15:15 Mini Workshop: Sustainable Chemicals and Materials Manufacturing Hub (SCHEMA Hub)

Professor Matthew Davidson, University of Bath

15:45 Mini Workshop: Great British Chemicals 

Professor Peter Styring, University of Sheffield

16:15 Panel Session: UK Leadership in Sustainable Chemistry: What’s Next?

The UK is a global leader in chemistry research, but how can it stay ahead in the transition to sustainable, net zero solutions? This panel brings together experts from industry, academia, and policy to explore the future of UK leadership in sustainable chemistry—covering innovation, investment, skills, regulation, and collaboration.

Tom Franklin, University of Sheffield (Invited)

Liam Hardy, Head of Research, Green Alliance

Dr Peter Clark, Innovate UK Business Connect

TBC

16:55 Summary and Next Steps

17:00 Close