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 1–3 October 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 $350,000.
The event is supported by Auckland Convention Bureau (ACB), a division of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, and Tourism New Zealand Business Events.
Meng Wai Woo and Saeid Baroutian, Associate Professors of Chemicals and Materials Engineering at the University of Auckland will co-chair the conference.
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. Dame Juliet Gerrard, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, will be the conference’s gala dinner speaker.
Chemeca 2023 will showcase the pioneering work being done in all four universities offering Chemical Engineering studies in New Zealand - University of Auckland, University of Canterbury, Massey University and University of Waikato.
Meng says: “The conference will showcase New Zealand’s strength in Chemical Engineering and provide a platform for industry and academia to bridge new linkages and strengthen existing partnerships.”
He says 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.
“This will provide high school students with an introduction to chemical engineering and the impact this field is making to the community,” Meng says.
University students are taking 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.
Head of ACB Ken Pereira says: “Bringing this conference to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is a great opportunity to advance Chemical Engineering in Aotearoa to create a more sustainable future, upskilling this generation of engineers and scientists and inspiring the next. With 200 delegates coming to the region, this is an opportunity to promote Auckland as a business events destination, and promote our innovative science, technology, engineering and mathematics sectors.”
New Zealand last hosted Chemeca, which rotates annually throughout Australasia, in Queenstown in 2018.
Meng adds: “The conference will also provide the opportunity to showcase the charm of Auckland, contributing to our local and regional tourism.
“The event’s October dates coincide loosely with school holidays in Australia and New Zealand, and we are expecting delegates to bring along their family to explore Auckland and New Zealand.”