A total of 20 dissemination activities, 14 communication actions, and 11 peer-reviewed publications have been successfully delivered by the 10 recruited researchers during the first reporting period, demonstrating a strong and proactive engagement with research communities, industry partners, civil society, and the broader public. These efforts were channeled through oral talks in international conferences (e.g. the International Conference on Microreaction Technology and the 18th International Congress on Catalysis), media outreach campaigns, and co-authored high-impact journal articles in fields such as green chemistry, catalysis, and pharmaceutical process engineering (including leading journals such as Angewandte Chemie International Edition, JACS Au, and Chemical Science).
Furthermore, the doctoral candidates successfully attended the first GreenDigiPharma Doctoral School, hosted in Milan in February 2024, with sessions on advanced flow chemistry, sustainability metrics, and career development in academia and industry. The event was met with enthusiastic feedback from the doctoral candidates, who praised the scientific quality of the lectures, the interactive nature of the workshops, and the opportunity to engage with leading experts in the field. Many highlighted the value of the school not only for acquiring technical knowledge but also for fostering a sense of community and collaboration within the network. Building on this success, three additional doctoral schools have already been planned for 2025, covering specialized topics such as digital process intensification, photo/electrocatalysis, and pharmaceutical regulatory science.
From a scientific viewpoint, the recruited doctoral candidates have advanced GreenDigiPharma's research in sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing through catalysis, continuous-flow synthesis, and digital optimization. Below is a summary of their contributions. Specifically, DC1 (Miguel M. de Vries Ibáñez) developed single-atom catalysts (SACs) using carbon nitride for photoredox transformations in pharmaceutical synthesis; DC2 (Bryan F. Rivadeneira Mendoza) converted lignocellulosic waste into pharmaceutical intermediates using green catalytic processes; DC3 (Alessio Massaro) designed and optimized 3D-printed electrochemical and photocatalytic flow reactors for pharmaceutical synthesis; DC4 (Marko Božinović) developed enzyme immobilization strategies in microflow systems for sustainable pharmaceutical transformations; DC5 (Defne Serbetci) implemented continuous-flow synthesis for fluorine- and sulfur-containing pharmaceutical compounds, ensuring safer reagent handling; DC6 (Clara Vega) optimized flow electrochemistry for green pharmaceutical processes, focusing on photochemical Suzuki cross-coupling; DC7 (Iktedar Mahdi) developed green synthetic routes for drug precursors using advanced microreactor technology; DC8 (Maria Batzaki) explored telescoping reactions and AI-driven flow chemistry to enhance pharmaceutical manufacturing efficiency; DC9 (Mert Can Ince) integrated continuous-flow processes for pharmaceutical intermediates, assessing sustainability and techno-economic feasibility; DC10 (Jonas Djossou) advanced flow-mediated organic photo- and electrochemistry to improve pharmaceutical reaction efficiency. Each of these contributions strengthens the project's goal of developing transformative chemical processes where pharmaceuticals are produced with unprecedented precision, sustainability, and adaptability in a new era of intelligent, green manufacturing.
