The role of process intensification in the current business context of the chemical process industry

There is always a discord between the academia and the industry on what is need-to-have and nice-to-have in terms of novel chemical processes and technologies. The International Process Intensification Conference (IPIC) was organized to hear both sides and to help bridge the knowledge gaps on either side in order to bring about a well-informed cohesive understanding into where the field of process intensification (PI) should be headed. This perspective is written to publicize the findings and conclusions of the Industrial Day workshop during IPIC 2019 to give an insight into what drives the current business context of the chemical process industry, the role of PI to realize these driving factors and the challenges involved in implementing these intensified solutions. Four of the promising PI fields - continuous manufacturing, alternative energy sources, 3D printing and multifunctional processes - were also discussed among a group of experts from the respective fields to identify essential knowledge gaps, their role in the current business context and the challenges involved in commercializing these technologies.