January 1, 2012 marked the launch of the new TU Delft Process Technology Institute. All Delft University of Technology (TU Delft; the Netherlands; www.tudelft.nl) research in the field of process technology will be integrated in this institute.
“What makes this so special is the fact that here at TU Delft we have access to knowledge relating to process technology on every imaginable scale, all under one roof: from nanotechnology to large-scale industrial processes”, says professor Andrzej Stankiewicz, the director of the new TU Delft Process Technology Institute. “Process technology is one of the disciplines in which TU Delft could achieve a position among the world leaders — in the top ten, say.”
“On the other hand, we now face stiff competition from countries such as China and India, which are investing heavily in the industrial sector, as well as in education and research, while in the Netherlands we are witnessing a dramatic decrease in industrial investments. Student interest in this particular discipline is also waning.”
We have to turn the tide, and this new institute can play an important role in this. More intensive alliances will be needed in order to ensure that TU Delft’s process technology will gain a greater international reputation. Currently, there are fourteen chairs in two faculties and five departments working on the subject across the University. This is hardly surprising for such a broad discipline, but it can be confusing to the outside world.
With its clear profiling, the new TU Delft Process Technology Institute will change all of that. There have been extensive discussions among the participating chairs on how this profiling can be achieved, as well as wide-ranging consultations with major industrial partners. The institute plans to work closely together with other universities and research organizations in the Netherlands and abroad.
“We decided right from the start to focus on those areas in which we truly excel”, explains Stankiewicz, “whilst ensuring that they also have industrial relevance.”
TU Delft has chosen to organize the institute in three practical fields: process intensification, biochemical process technology and process technology for advanced materials. Process intensification is all about production process efficiency: how can we produce using smaller amounts of raw materials, and decreasing energy consumption and waste? Biochemical process technology focuses on the production of biological raw materials, preferably from the biological waste products of food production. Process technology for advanced materials works on the development of new materials and the processes for producing and refining them.
Research within these areas often involves sustainability issues: it concerns energy-efficient production processes, waste processing, water purification, alternatives to scarce raw materials, and so on. These are things that impact industry as well as society as a whole. An interesting example is the development of a revolutionary new toilet, based on plasma technology, for which TU Delft was awarded a grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation last July.
The plan is for the various departments to move closer together in future. They will also start using shared research facilities. There will in any case be a shared macrolab, in which large test installations can be built. This is important, because the shift from research on a laboratory scale to a pilot scale makes it possible to test the feasibility of industrial applications.