Jarka Glassey champions industry-led innovation and global collaboration in chemical engineering under EFCE presidency
Incoming president of the European Federation of Chemical Engineers (EFCE), Jarka Glassey, has set out a dynamic agenda centred on strengthening ties between research and industry to maximise the impact of chemical engineering innovations. Speaking with The Chemical Engineer, Glassey, an IChemE Fellow based at the University of Newcastle, stressed the imperative for the federation to move beyond academic discussions towards tangible societal and business outcomes. “It’s important that it’s not just an academic talk shop…but that there is societal impact and business impact [from] the innovations that we are discussing,” she said.
Glassey's presidency arrives at a pivotal moment where climate change and artificial intelligence are reshaping the industry landscape. She highlighted the urgency for chemical engineers to engage with AI responsibly, noting that “chemical engineers are now working in an environment that is really pushing us” amid unprecedented technological shifts. The EFCE, which includes member institutions such as IChemE and counterparts across Europe and globally, is currently dominated by academic voices. Glassey aims to amplify industry participation, challenging the conventional divide between academia and business to foster cooperation that is strategically important in the face of market pressures like high energy costs and intensified competition from Asia.
Sustainability remains a core priority, dovetailing with global initiatives that chemical engineers are integral to. The World Economic Forum-backed collaboration among leading chemical companies seeks to accelerate low-carbon technologies and reduce CO₂ emissions by developing scalable solutions, from hydrogen production to utilising CO₂ and biomass feedstocks. These efforts align with Glassey’s call for the EFCE to inspire industry engagement on climate action and drive innovations that serve both environmental and business interests.
Glassey also underscored the need for better public understanding of chemical engineering’s vital role. “We need to play a much more active role in terms of making sure that society actually understands the need for chemical engineers and the need for chemical engineers to be appropriately educated,” she said. This aligns closely with her advocacy for enhanced skills development, as demonstrated in her efforts within IChemE, where she has pushed for collaboration with the UK’s Department for Education to equip engineers with the knowledge and competence to tackle climate challenges effectively.
The geopolitical dimension presents additional complexities, with Glassey warning against letting tensions—especially between Europe, the US, and China—impede progress in scientific and industrial collaboration. She referenced the detrimental impact of Brexit on UK research funding, and critiqued Europe’s previously dismissive stance toward China’s advances in technologies like carbon capture, which has now left Europe “behind the curve.”
In seeking to broaden participation, Glassey encourages more UK companies and IChemE members to engage with EFCE activities through its sections, which offer accessible entry points into areas like medicine, energy, sustainability, and product design. This inclusive strategy aims to dissolve borders—both geographic and sectoral—and leverage a diverse, global community of chemical engineers to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
Glassey’s vision resonates with broader industry movements advocating for closer collaboration across engineering disciplines. Leaders from institutions such as the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers have recently highlighted the need for interdisciplinary cooperation and workforce reskilling to meet urgent environmental and technological demands, echoing the themes of partnership and proactive action prominent in Glassey’s agenda.
As the EFCE embarks on this two-year tenure under Glassey’s leadership, the federation’s commitment to transitioning from dialogue to impactful delivery will be a critical measure of success, ensuring that chemical engineering not only adapts to but leads in an era defined by sustainability and rapid technological evolution.