The future 'Net Zero Economy' will be based on new forms of energy (e.g., renewable electricity and hydrogen), new feedstocks (sustainably sourced biological and waste materials), and a new depth of data. These changes present particular problems for the process industries (bulk and fine chemicals, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and utilities etc). To 'Engineer Net Zero' in these industries, they must undergo the most profound transformation since the industrial revolution. To accommodate these new energy types, novel feedstocks and new data, entirely new processes, process technologies and green chemical routes will have to be developed. The scale of the challenge is enormous; manufacturing alone accounts for ~10% of the total economic output of the UK (£203bn Gross Value Added) and ~7% of UK jobs (HMG, 2022). Research Challenges: The PINZ CDT will help to 'Engineer Net Zero' by developing new processes, green chemistries, and process technologies, via Research for Technology Transfer (O2) at the interfaces of process and chemical engineering, and the biological, chemical and data sciences. Our Research Themes (T) have been informed by and co-created with industry: (T1) Energy: The use of renewable electricity and hydrogen demands new ways to perform process steps (reactions, separations, heat transfer) and whole process design. (T2) Feedstocks: Sustainable feedstocks/raw materials and solvents (bio-based, carbon-neutral, waste-derived), will force the development of new process chemistry and technology. (T3) Data: The increasing quantity and quality of data (in-process, LCA, TEA) will dramatically change how we design, operate, and monitor processes. Training Challenges: Build Back Better: Our Plan for Growth (HMT, 2021), and The UK Innovation Strategy: Leading the Future by Creating It (BEIS, 2021) highlight a strategic focus on skills development, innovation, and Net Zero to transform the UK into a global science and engineering superpower. To meet these substantial challenges and maintain the UK as a technology hub and global leader in innovation in the process industries, the UK requires pioneering, innovative, and knowledgeable chemical engineers/chemists. These world-class, doctoral-level graduates will not only be required to navigate these challenges: they will need to lead the change. The PINZ CDT will create these 'Net Zero-enabled' future leaders via a nurturing, supportive and collaborative training environment, which will equip the researchers with the tools to develop, analyse, evaluate, and implement new technologies and processes during their projects and future careers. Student-Centred Training (O1) will underpin everything we do, tailoring research training both at the individual and CDT level, alongside the provision of the management, entrepreneurship, and business skills that industry demands. Throughout their training, we will facilitate peer-to-peer interactions within and across cohorts to build a community and engender a broad exchange of ideas. This is especially important when working with students from diverse academic and personal backgrounds and recognises the contribution diversity makes to a challenge on the scale of Net Zero. Delivery: PINZ will be led by the world's largest Process Intensification Group (PIG, Newcastle University), and the world-leading Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE, University of York), leveraging >40 years of combined experience in technology transfer and >40 ongoing industrial partnerships. Only through this combination of the 'biggest and best' can the internationally leading education, training, and research needed to produce the next generation of leaders and innovators for Net Zero be realised.

Great Western Supercluster for Hydrogen Impact for Future Technologies (GW-SHIFT) is co-created by world-leading academic expertise (Universities of Bath, Exeter, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, South Wales, Plymouth), innovative civic partners (Western Gateway, Great South West, West of England Combined Authority) and cutting-edge industries (Hydrogen South West, Airbus, GKN, Bristol Airport, easyJet, Bristol Port Company, National Composites Centre, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Johnson Matthey, etc.) to drive concentrated impact across the H2 ecosystem of South West England and South Wales. It will catalyse cross-sectoral, cross-regional and interdisciplinary opportunities for long-term impact. The ambition of GW-SHIFT is to grow from a nascent cluster to an established supercluster which is uniquely placed to lead the delivery of the green H2 economies needed to decarbonise the UK, driving joined-up impact that spans multiple sectors (maritime, road, rail, aerospace, chemicals) across the region's unique testbed of urban, rural, and coastal areas and resources. GW-SHIFT has been co-created by its academic, civic and industry partners with a shared vision to maximise the enormous potential of the region's H2 ecosystem. Its impact will power clean, inclusive growth across the region, maximising world-leading academic knowledge and H2 assets, and enabling key government strategies and targets for a low carbon H2 future. This includes Powering Up Britain and British Energy Strategy targets for 10GW H2 production capacity by 2030 and 100,000 new jobs, £13bn GVA by 2050. The creation of the supercluster directly addresses key regional strategies and action plans, including the Western Gateway's H2 vision and 'Powering a Greener, Fairer Future' strategy, Great South West's "Speed to the West," WECA's Climate and Ecological Strategy and Action Plan, the West of England Local Industrial Strategy and the Welsh Government's Hydrogen in Wales pathway. Success of the supercluster can deliver the region's targets for 17,000 new H2 jobs by 2050. GW-SHIFT will drive impact through its aims and objectives to: 1. Grow the GW-SHIFT supercluster of academic, civic and industry partners towards established and sustainable supercluster status via policy and theme conversations and academic-civic-industry secondments. 2. Deliver high impact co-created collaborative projects, with 20 short sprint projects and eight 1-2 year collaborative match-funded projects, leading to the development of new products, processes and techniques, new spin-out companies, significant follow-on funding, new jobs, and regional and national policy impacts. 3. Deliver place-based capacity building across the South-West of England and South Wales H2 ecosystem through entrepreneurial training to academic researchers (including early career), civic and industry staff, cross-mentoring programmes, and upskilling programmes to equip regional workforces for the opportunities of the future H2 economy. 4. Engage key stakeholders across the region (civic, industry, regulatory, public, schools, etc.) via public engagement, school outreach and curriculum development, wider academic, industry and policy engagement to raise awareness of the benefits and opportunities of a future H2 economy and to encourage public acceptability of hydrogen. The establishment of GW-SHIFT as a hydrogen supercluster for the South of England and South Wales will enable maximum impact from joined-up strategic advances in H2 production, storage and distribution, conversion, end-use applications (for mobility, heating, power), industrial feedstocks, and cross-cutting issues (economic, environmental, social and safety). It will be a critical enabler of a thriving low carbon hydrogen sector in the South-West and South Wales, with national and global applications, delivering energy security, skills, economic growth, supply chain development and driving Net Zero innovations.