How Chemists Can Save the World

This is an evening lecture from Dr Mike Pitts, Deputy Challenge Director for Transforming Construction, Innovate UK. 6.00 pm for a 6.30 pm start.

The major challenges facing humanity, from climate breakdown to overexploitation of natural resources, are all down to large scale mismanagement of molecules. The talk will lay out the challenge and advocate that chemists have a huge part to play in sustainability, if only we can get outside our own subject area...

Mike is the Deputy Challenge Director for Transforming Construction – the government’s Industrial Strategy programme linked to the sector deal and managed by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. He acted as interim Challenge Director in securing the programme as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

Mike was previously Head of Urban Systems at Innovate UK, covering the priority areas of Urban Living and Smart Infrastructure. He joined Innovate UK in 2012 to lead on embedding sustainability across Innovate UK’s strategy. He has also led Clean and Cool entrepreneur Missions in 2013 to Brazil and 2015 to San Francisco and ran the Resource Efficiency programme during 2013/14.

Previously Mike spent five years driving sustainability-led innovation in the chemical industry with Chemistry Innovation. He has developed and managed projects on lifecycle analysis, renewable chemicals, industrial biotechnology and resource efficiency across the chemistry-using industries. Mike holds a PhD in organic chemistry and spent his early career in several technology spin-outs leading R&D teams developing process technology for the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and electronics industries.

This is a Royal Society of Chemistry Management Group event organised in collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistry Chilterns and Middlesex Local Section.