Chem Together has become a well-established event for the Amsterdam chemistry community. Since 2014,first ILCA and now ACN have promoted this series of gatherings to allow professionals to get in touch with potential partners, receive advice or share ideas with each other, find new career options and feel part of an innovative community.
"We like to think of this event as a marketplace of ideas, a place to share and exchange opinions on interesting projects and new trends in Chemistry for Sustainability and Chemistry for Life Sciences" says Marco Tibaldi, Operations Manager at ACN.
With every new edition, the location and the theme change from the previous one. The lastissue, in December 2022, talked about Artificial Intelligence in Chemistry. In the past, we have already addressed bio-based solutions, CO2 captureand valorisation, innovation in drug discovery, and many other topics. Ofcourse the theme of the edition determines the target audience from thechemistry world, but everyone is always welcome. Chem together offers you the opportunity to participate regardless of your area of interest. We strongly believe that interdisciplinary is key to innovation.
"Chem Together is more than just a networking event, it's a gathering of like-minded individuals who are passionate about their field and are looking for ways to collaborate and innovate. This event offers a unique opportunity for chemistry professionals in Amsterdam to connect with potential partners and collaborators, share knowledge and ideas, and build a strong community ofchemistry enthusiasts. That’s my goal.”
At each event, ACN invites two or three experts in the chosen topic to present thought-provoking work and innovative trends in the field. Companies are invited to share their story with the audience, so that it become clear what were the struggles and the strategy behind the success of a new discovery reaching the market. Names like Andrea Candelli (CTO Lumicks), Niels van Stralen (CEO Chaincraft), Sander van Loon (CEO VLCI), Ann-Sophie Farle (Head R&D Skytree), Bastiaan Bergman (VP Engineering Model Medicines), among others, have already been speakers at ChemTogether.
CHEM TOGETHER #13th ?
Until 2022, ChemTogether numeration started from one every new year, counting from the first edition until the fourth and final edition of each year. From now on, ACN decided to better show to the participants an idea of how consolidated Chem Together is and how much the event delivered to the chemistry community. This will also give ACN the reason for some special editions (lustrum, 20th edition, etc.). Register to our mailing list in the homepage not to miss any of them!
"This edition will be held in Matrix ONE, or Sustaina Lab, at the heart of Amsterdam Science Park.It is the perfect location, a building specifically designed to host companies working towards sustainable solutions. The theme of this edition, "closing the plastic loop", is well aligned with their mission making the event even more relevant and impactful.
Following the success of the last edition, Chem Together #13 will feature a today’s crucial theme. Plastic will be in the spotlight: how to achieve a circular plastic economy by 2050? The industry, and the world as a whole, must close the plastic chain, but these mean innovative technologies, investments, new policies. Where are we headed?
CHEM TOGETHER #13 SPEAKERS
In this next edition, ACN will host as guest speakers two experts in polymer science and circularity. First we will hear about the recent funding that the Dutch government allocated to create material and process innovations for circular plastics (500 million euros for an 8-year program). Next to it, we will hear directly from the Avantium CTO about their recent break through, which could ultimately pave the way for commercial bioplastics.
Martin van Dord is an Industrial Designer. He has over 25 years of experience with entrepreneurship, product development and innovation management. In recent years Martin has been working as an innovation manager at NRK (NederlandseRubber-en Kunststofindustrie) Rubber & Plastics Industry and DPI Value Center. Always been interested in themes such as recycling, circular economy, biopolymers & composites, and how (SME)-companies and researchers can join the program. Martin van Dord joins Chem Together#13 to present the CircularPlastics NL initiative from the Dutch Growth Fund. For this 8-year program, a total of 500 million euros will be invested in several programs and platforms,working towards 100% circularity of plastics by 2050.
Prof. Dr Gert-Jan Gruter is specialized in Catalysis, Bio-based chemistry, Polymers and Sustainability. He is the CTO of Avantium, leading the Renewable Chemistries Business Unit. Since 2016 he is also aprofessor of Industrial Sustainable Chemistry at the University of Amsterdam. Prof. Gruter is the inventor of more than 100 patents and patent applications,and in 2014 he was elected 'European CTO of the year'. His work focuses on ground-breaking ways to create new polymers and chemicals using sustainable processes. Prof. Gruter will discuss the challenges of shifting away from fossil- to biobased polyesters using innovative synthesis strategies. A successful example is a conversion process of sugars into furandicarboxylicacid (FDCA), the precursor of PEF (polyethylene furanoate), a superior polyester with the potential to replace conventional PET.
The CHEM TOGETHER #13 will happen at Matrix One - Science Park 301 -Amsterdam. It is the new building with an entire focus on Sustainability and the perfect space to host our event.
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