ALiCE Connect 2026 brought together nearly 400 participants on 8 September at the Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões for a meeting dedicated to strengthening connections between science, industry and society.

Under the motto “Connecting Science, Industry and Society”, the event brought together professors, researchers, PhD and master students and professionals, promoting knowledge exchange, discussion of major scientific and industrial challenges, and new opportunities for collaboration.

The opening session featured institutional addresses by Fernando Remião, Vice-Rector of the University of Porto, Renato Natal Jorge, FEUP Subdirector, Mário Antunes, Director of ESTG–ULO, and Miguel Madeira, Director of ALiCE, followed by a keynote presentation by João Rocha, President of the Council of Associate Laboratories, on the strategic importance and challenges of Associate Laboratories within Portugal’s evolving scientific and innovation system.

The programme included two roundtable discussions on strategic topics: industrial decarbonisation and resource efficiency, with representatives from APQuímica, Bondalti, Galp, REN and SYSADVANCE; and digitalisation and smart process engineering, with representatives from Águas do Douro e Paiva, BA Glass, Bial and REN. The discussions covered hydrogen and alternative fuels, energy efficiency, water management and reuse, carbon capture, process electrification, artificial intelligence, automation and digital twins.

In the afternoon, ALiCE's five Thematic Research Lines — Chemical Industry, Bioindustry, Materials, Energy and Environment — were presented, together with collaborative projects in areas including CO₂ capture and conversion, green hydrogen, biomedical technologies, nutrient recovery, PFAS treatment, microplastics, green shipping, sustainable packaging and green ammonia-based fuels.

The programme also featured a PhD Innovation Pitch Session, giving early-career researchers the opportunity to present innovative ideas in Water & Sustainability, Energy & Decarbonisation, and Digitalisation, AI & Process Innovation, connecting emerging research with potential partners and industrial applications.

With nearly 400 participants and 22 sponsors, ALiCE Connect 2026 reinforced the importance of academia–industry collaboration in transforming scientific knowledge into solutions with real-world impact. Strong industry engagement reflects the scale and vitality of the ecosystem surrounding ALiCE.

The meeting concluded with the presentation of ALiCE's strategic vision for the future, followed by an informal dinner, awards ceremony and celebration, providing another opportunity for researchers, partners and sponsors to strengthen connections.

ALiCE Connect 2026 thus established itself as a privileged platform for connecting science, industry and society and contributing to the future of chemical engineering research and innovation in Portugal.

José Barbosa, PhD Student at LSRE-LCM/ALiCE, was awarded the Best Pitch Prize in the Water & Sustainability thematic area at the ALiCE Connect 2026 Ideas Competition, with the project DropEvo - A Point-of-Use Technology for Safe Drinking Water. The competition brought together PhD students across three thematic areas and challenged participants to develop and present innovative ideas in a concise and compelling format. This experience provided an opportunity to strengthen and demonstrate key skills in innovation, creativity, scientific communication and the effective presentation of new concepts. We look forward to following the future development of DropEvo and wish José Barbosa every success in the next stages of his academic and professional journey.