Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland will welcome chemical engineers and scientists from across Australasia this October as it hosts Chemeca 2023.
The conference will be held from October 1–3, 2023, at the Hilton Auckland and is expected to attract around 200 delegates, delivering an estimated 870 room nights for Auckland and an economic impact of more than NZ$350,000 (US$257,858).
Themed Chemical Engineering – Leading the Transition into a Sustainable Future, it will include a mix of plenary, keynote and technical presentations from industry and academic leaders in the field.
Meng Wai Woo and Saeid Baroutian, associate professors of Chemicals and Materials Engineering at the University of Auckland will co-chair the conference. Juliet Gerrard, the prime minister’s chief science advisor, will be the conference’s gala dinner speaker.
Woo said that an important element of this year’s event will be engaging with students at both high school and university level. The organising committee is working with high schools around Auckland to invite students to join in the conference to learn more about what chemical engineering is and the impact it has on the future landscape.
Chemeca 2023 will also showcase the pioneering work being done in all four universities offering Chemical Engineering studies in New Zealand – the University of Auckland, University of Canterbury, Massey University, and University of Waikato.
Moreover, university students have also been engaged to take part in a Hackathon competition co-sponsored by Fonterra and Future Fuels CRC. Student groups will be tasked to conceptually design an alternative gaseous fuel infrastructure solution that supports the transition from carbon-intensive fuels to net-zero carbon emission fuels at dairy plants. Finalists will present their work at an in-person pitch at Chemeca 2023.
New Zealand last hosted Chemeca, which rotates annually throughout Australasia, in Queenstown in 2018.
The event is supported by Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB), a division of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, and Tourism New Zealand Business Events.
