Conference Topics, Speakers & Programme

Welcome to the Sustainable Membranes and Membrane Processes Conference 2026, hosted by SynHiSel. Taking place on 7–8 September 2026 at the University of Bath, this event brings together researchers, industry partners, and stakeholders committed to advancing sustainable membrane science and technology.

The programme will feature:

• High‑profile plenary and keynote lectures from internationally recognised leaders
• Oral and poster sessions highlighting emerging and impactful research
• Thematic workshops designed to deepen technical and cross‑sector discussion
• Dedicated networking opportunities designed to foster new collaborations

Shaped by both academic insight and industrial relevance, the conference aims to accelerate progress toward scalable, energy-efficient, and sustainable membrane processes.

Plenary Speaker:

Professor Suzana Nunes

Suzana Nunes is a Professor at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology), recently elected as a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences, North American Membrane Society and Honorary Member of European Membrane Society.

Her work in the membrane science community combines chemistry and engineering in advanced polymeric membranes, enabling cleaner water for communities, more efficient processes in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and prosperous future. She has 300 papers, several patents and 7 books in membrane technology.  She is the laureate of the 2023 L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science International Award for Africa and the Arab States, recognized for her achievements in chemistry.

Plenary Speaker:

Karl Britt, PE

Karl Britt is Vice President of R&D and Head of Sustainable Innovation at Cytiva. He is an expert in sustainable bioprocessing and product innovation.

His work in the bioprocessing community focuses on advancing environmental sustainability through innovation, with an emphasis on developing sustainable materials and single-use technologies that reduce environmental impact, enabling greener manufacturing practices across biopharmaceutical production, and supporting circular economy principles within life-science supply chains

Karl combines engineering expertise with a strong commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of critical life-science technologies, helping to shape a more sustainable future for the industry.

Keynote Speaker:

Dr Alberto Figoli

Alberto Figoli is the Director of the Institute on Membrane Technology “Enrico Drioli” (ITM) of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR).

He is an expert in membrane technology, particularly in membrane fabrication, both in flat and hollow-fiber configurations, characterisation, and their application in different fields. His latest research is devoted to developing membranes in a more sustainable way by using less toxic and greener solvents, as well as bio-polymeric membranes. He is responsible for multiple national and international research projects and leads research lines within ITM. He has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed publications, co-authored more than 20  book chapters, published 10 books, and holds 10 patents in membrane technology.

Keynote Speaker:

Professor Gyorgy Szekely

Gyorgy Szekely is an Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering at the Advanced Membranes & Porous Materials Centre at KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) and visiting Professor at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

His research interests focus on sustainable separations through a combination of materials science and process engineering. In particular, he has been devoted to addressing the challenges of sustainable fabrication of membrane materials for harsh environments, and expanding the application of these membranes via process intensification. He has published over 140 papers, holds 10 patents, and has authored 4 books and 12 book chapters in membrane science and sustainable separations. He serves in several editorial roles across leading journals in the field and has been elected a Council Member of the European Membrane Society. His honours include Fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Lectureship Awards from the American Chemical Society.

Conference Topics

TOPIC 1: Sustainable Membrane Materials and Modules

TOPIC 2: Sustainable Membrane Processes

• Microfiltration, Ultrafiltration, Nanofiltration, Reverse Osmosis
• Organic solvent nanofiltration
• Electromembrane processes (RED, ED, etc.)
• Membrane distillation, osmotic distillation, membrane crystallization
• Membrane reactors
• Membrane contactors, membrane emulsification, membrane nanoprecipitation
• Membrane-based solvent extraction
• Pervaporation, vapor permeation
• Membrane fouling, biofouling, scaling, ageing, cleaning and maintenance
• Pre-treatment methods for membrane processes

TOPIC 3: Sustainable Membrane Systems

• Membrane process intensification, techno-economic analysis, life cycle assessment
• Multi-scale modelling in membrane science and engineering
• Artificial intelligence methodologies in membrane science and engineering
• Integrated membrane processes
• Hybrid, novel membrane processes
• Modelling and simulation in membrane science and engineering

TOPIC 4: Membranes for Sustainable Bioseparations and Bioprocesses

• Membrane (bio)artificial organs
• Membranes in controlled delivery/release
• Membranes for cell culture, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
• Depth filtration in bioprocessing
• Membrane chromatography for intensified processes and genomic medicines
• Ultrafiltration/diafiltration in bioprocessing
• Viral filtration of biological products
• Sterile filtration of biological products
• Membrane bioreactors, submerged MBR, immobilized enzymes and biocatalytic membrane reactors
• New membrane materials: opportunities in bioprocessing

TOPIC 5: Industrial Application of Membranes

• Membranes for gas separation, CO₂ capture, hydrogen production and separation
• Membranes for water desalination, wastewater treatment and drinking water
• Membranes in agro-food processing and food packaging
• Membranes for energy, (microbial) fuel cells, batteries, electrolyzer