The transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy relies on a strong synergy between catalysis and chemical engineering. Catalysis provides the molecular-level innovations needed to increase reaction selectivity, reduce energy consumption, minimize waste, and enable the efficient conversion of renewable feedstocks such as biomass, carbon dioxide, and green hydrogen into valuable chemicals and fuels. At the same time, chemical engineering transforms these catalytic discoveries into practical and economically viable processes through reactor design, process integration, heat and mass transfer optimization, separation technologies, and system-wide efficiency improvements. Together, these disciplines form the foundation of many emerging sustainable technologies, including sustainable aviation fuels, green methanol, carbon capture and utilization, and hydrogen-based energy systems. Equally important is the successful scale-up of these innovations from laboratory to pilot, demonstration and commercial deployment. Many promising sustainable technologies fail to deliver their environmental impact unless they can be operated reliably, safely, and cost-effectively at the industrial scale. Scale-up therefore acts as the critical bridge between scientific discovery and real-world implementation, ensuring that advances in catalysis translate into reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions and contribute to a resilient, circular, and sustainable future.
The Laboratory for Energy Technologies and Innovation (LTI) at PSI is uniquely structured to accelerate the development and industrial deployment of sustainable energy and chemical technologies by bringing together three highly complementary platforms under a single organizational framework. The Engineering and Catalysis Platform (ECP) focuses on catalyst development, process engineering, and scale-up, providing capabilities that range from laboratory-scale catalyst testing to the operation of pilot plants. The Synthesis & Processing Platform (SPP) develops advanced materials and catalysts, including their synthesis, shaping, and formulation to meet the requirements of industrial applications. The Advanced Analytics Platform (AAP) develops and applies state-of-the-art analytical methods that enable a detailed understanding of reaction pathways, catalyst performance, product quality, and process efficiency. Together, these platforms create a seamless innovation chain that spans from catalyst conception and preparation, through catalytic screening and process development, to pilot-scale validation and advanced characterization. This close integration of expertise enables rapid feedback between material development, process optimization, and analytical investigation, significantly accelerating the scale-up of new technologies. By combining catalyst synthesis, reaction engineering, process design, and advanced analytics within a collaborative environment, LTI provides a powerful framework for transforming scientific discoveries into scalable and economically viable solutions that support the transition towards a sustainable, low-carbon energy future.