The Mediterranean Chemical Engineering Congress defines sustainable industry

From June 2 to 5, the Mediterranean Chemical Engineering Congress (MeCCE) will bring together more than 300 professionals from academia and industry at Expoquimia to share the latest advances in transforming process industries toward more sustainable, digital, and efficient models. The program will feature research and projects related to decarbonization, the energy transition, the circular economy, digitalization, and new materials.

In addition to analyzing new solutions in these areas, MeCCE, which will take place at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue, will also showcase innovations in water treatment, bioengineering, food, fine chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, along with new approaches to chemical engineering education. This year, the conference features 135 speakers and will include 24 sessions, comprising plenary sessions and oral presentations, as well as around 100 scientific posters.

The plenary sessions will be led by six international leaders in sustainability, digitalization, and emerging technologies. They are Cristina Alonso Alija (UNIJES-IQS), Selina Ambrose (Promethean Particles), Benoit Celse (IFP Energies Nouvelles), Juan M. Lema (University of Santiago de Compostela), Andrea Ramírez Ramírez (Delft University of Technology), and Marina Micari (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)). They will all share their research and projects aimed at advancing the ecological transition of process industries through chemical engineering.

Industrial processes with lower environmental impact

Cristina Alonso Alija, director of the UNIJES Research Center in Ecology and Environment at IQS and a global executive at Bayer until 2023, will open the conference with a presentation reflecting on the role of sustainability in business strategy. In her presentation, she will explore how the principles of the circular economy, resource efficiency, and responsible industrial design can become drivers of economic and social progress.

Meanwhile, Selina Ambrose, product manager at the British chemical manufacturer Promethean Particles, will explain how metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) capture CO₂ and facilitate its efficient storage. She will also demonstrate how industrial-scale production enables the application of this technology in real-world processes, opening up new opportunities for the energy transition.

Benoit Celse, a researcher at IFP Energies Nouvelles, will discuss how artificial intelligence and hybrid models are transforming the design and operation of chemical plants. His presentation will focus on digital twins—virtual models that simulate industrial processes in real time to optimize production, reduce costs, and improve sustainability.

Juan M. Lema, professor emeritus and scientific coordinator of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS) at the University of Santiago de Compostela, will present groundbreaking advances in water treatment and environmental biotechnology. Using real-world examples, he will demonstrate how unexpected discoveries have led to technologies essential for the sustainable management of resources.

Finally, Andrea Ramírez Ramírez, professor at Delft University of Technology, will analyze the challenges of decarbonizing large industrial complexes. Her presentation will highlight how to replace fossil raw materials with alternatives such as CO₂, biomass, and waste, and how these transformations impact interconnected value chains.

European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) Forum

As a new feature this year, the Mediterranean Congress of Chemical Engineering, chaired by Rosa Nomen, professor emerita at IQS – Ramon Llull University, will be extended by one day, concluding on Friday, June 5. That day will feature a European Federation of Chemical Engineering (EFCE) Forum on energy transition, with a plenary session introduced by the organization’s president, Jarka Glassey, and led by Marina Micari, a researcher at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Micari specializes in gas-liquid separation, as well as process modeling and optimization. Her work focuses on promoting efficient solutions for industrial decarbonization and sustainability, as she will explain at the forum.

Following the session, a roundtable discussion will take place on the role of chemical engineering in promoting the circular economy, climate neutrality, and competitiveness in process industries. In addition to Glassey and Micari, participants will include José Antonio Borque, Chief Technology Officer at Technip Energies Iberia; Ignasi Cañagueral, Director of Dow’s Industrial Complex in Tarragona and the Southern Europe Operations Center; and Oriol Martínez, founding member and Chief Engineering Officer at GasN2.

In addition, MeCCE is strengthening its ties with Expoquimia by offering conference attendees activities within the trade show. Participants will be able to join exclusive themed tours scheduled for June 5, which will allow them to discover innovative solutions in the exhibition area. The available tours are: Innovative Materials; Circular Economy and Water Resources; Digital Twins, Artificial Intelligence, and Advanced Process Control; Decarbonization and Hydrogen; and Food Engineering and Bioengineering, High-Purity Chemicals, and the Pharmaceutical Sector.

A well-established event

Since its inception in 1978, MeCCE has been a key event for advancing chemical engineering both in Spain and internationally, serving as an essential forum for collaboration between academia and industry.

Sponsored by Expoquimia, MeCCE is organized by the Spanish Society of Industrial Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (SEQUI), the IQS Alumni Association (AIQS Alumni), and the Association and College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia (EIC). This year, the Congress is sponsored by GasN2, CPQ-EKIUM, Miwon, Briolf, Wanhua Chemical Group, Technip, and Wiley.

MeCCE 2026 is one of the main events at the Expoquimia trade show, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, once again coinciding with Equiplast, the leading event in the plastics sector. From June 2 to 5, both events will bring together more than 800 exhibitors and are expected to attract over 21,000 visitors at the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona.

Barcelona, May 2026

VIEW THE MeCCE 2026 PROGRAM here

Maria Dolores Herranz
Press officer Expoquimia
Tel. +34 93 233 25 41
[email protected]