In the Netherlands Center for Multiscale Catalytic Energy Conversion (MCEC; www.mcec-researchcenter.nl) research teams from the fields of chemistry, physics and engineering at the universities of Utrecht (UU), Eindhoven (TU/e), and Twente (UT) have been working together on an ambitious research program with the aim to address one of the Grand Challenges our society faces today: sustainable energy conversion. More efficient and sustainable production of fuels and chemicals requires the development of new catalytic conversion processes that combine smart catalyst-reactor combinations with optimal transport of heat and mass at every length scale, i.e. from the nanoscale of the catalyst to the meter-scale of the reactor. Covering this full range of length scales requires a concerted effort of chemists, physicists and engineers, including both experimental and theoretical approaches.
In the framework of this program a group of 20 Cofund fellows has been equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to address the energy challenge in all sectors: academia, industry and governance.