EuChemS Magazine, September 2024
EuChemS News, Policy News, Events, Awards
Find our monthly compilation of science related European policy developments and EuChemS news in this newsletter. Take a look at our headline stories or read the magazine by clicking on the button below.
Read the complete EuChemS Magazine Plus
EuChemS News
- EuChemS opens 2024 calls for award nominations
- Chemical societies comment on Commission’s initiative on sustainable chemicals
- ACS honours EuChemS Division Chair with prestigious award
- Report on EU Agriculture adopts EuChemS recommendations
Policy News
- Key report urges EU to invest much more in Research and Innovation
- ERC announces Starting Grant recipients
- ENVI committee discusses chemical residue levels proposal
- EU report optimistic on union’s energy policy
Read the full magazine on: https://www.magazine.euchems.eu/
David Spichiger, SCS
18.09.2024

Wiley Research Heroes Prize: Call for nominations
Do you know someone who deserves recognition and appreciation?
Is there someone in your department, professional association, or lab who goes above and beyond their usual duties? Who puts in extra time, effort, and commitment to help others? Your research hero could be the person whose passion inspires you to keep investigating or the colleague who volunteers as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion champion in your organization. They could be the person who always finds time to read your manuscript before you submit it to a journal or will give you advice on how to improve your poster.
We’re looking to honor people whose contributions play a role in ensuring research is inclusive and innovative. We want to show appreciation for those who go beyond the normal expectations of their role, helping those around them and contributing to a more inclusive and collaborative research community.
Nominations close on October 15, 2024
Here’s what you need to know:
- Anyone can nominate a colleague or be nominated: Nominees do not need to have previously published with Wiley or be associated with a Wiley journal and can be at any career stage.
- Prizes: Five winners from around the world will receive the equivalent of $2'000 US Dollars in their local currency.
- How to Nominate: It is simple! You need to complete a form sharing a short paragraph on why the nominee deserves recognition. Nominations need to be completed by October 15.
Website: https://m.info.wiley.com/webApp/ResearchHeroesPrize
David Spichiger, SCS
10.09.2024

Winners of the Best Poster Presentation Awards at the SCS Fall Meeting 2024
In collaboration with DSM-Firmenich, SCS offered again the very attractive and prestigious Fall Meeting Best Poster Award program. Combined with the Best Oral Presentation Awards program this is probably the most highly remunerated award program in the field, and we are very proud and happy to cooperate with our sponsoring partners. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to DSM-Firmenich for their generous support and congratulate all winners for their fantastic contributions.
Dr. Jonathan Medlock, Laboratory Head of Process Research, DSM-Firmenich, awarded a total of 22 winners at the end of the SCS Fall Meeting 2024 on September 5, 2024.
Winners of the Best Poster Presentation Awards 2024
Analytical Sciences | |
Winner | Paul Dutheil, Paul Scherrer Institute |
Runner-up | Timon Käser, ETH Zurich |
Catalysis Sciences & Engineering | |
Winner | Kazutaka Sakamoto, ETH Zurich |
Runners-up | Aswin Gopakumar, ICIQ |
Anies Rösch, University of Basel | |
Computational Chemistry | |
Winner | Andrea Levy, EPFL Lausanne |
Runner-up | Shu-Yu Chen, ETH Zurich |
Chemistry and the Environment | |
Winner | Simon Rath, Eawag / EPFL Lausanne |
Inorganic Chemistry | |
Winner | Na Jin, University of Bern |
Runner-up | Tzu-Chin Chang Chien, University of Basel |
Medicinal Chemistry | |
Winner | Tamara Balsiger, University of Basel |
Runner-up | Austia Puckett, University of Bern |
Chemical Biology | |
Winner | Dorothea Kossmann, University of Zurich |
Runner-up | Adeline Schmitt, ETH Zurich |
Organic Chemistry | |
Winner | Valeriia Hutskalova, University of Basel |
Runners-up | Alena Budinska, ETH Zurich |
Egor Zhilin, University of Bern | |
Physical Chemistry | |
Winner | Johannes Wega, University of Geneva |
Runners-up | Ghewa Al Sabeh, EPFL Lausanne |
Richard Karl, University of Basel | |
Materials Chemistry | |
Winner | Flavio Augusto von Philipsborn, ZHAW / UZH |
Runner-up | Coline Boulanger, EPFL Lausanne |
Prizes for Winners - certificate and cash contribution of CHF 200.00 Prizes for Runners‘ up |
Céline Wittwer, SCS
06.09.2024

Winners of the Best Oral Presentation Awards at the SCS Fall Meeting 2024
In collaboration with Metrohm, SCS offered again the very attractive and prestigious Fall Meeting Best Oral Presentation Award program. Combined with the Best Poster Presentation Awards program this is probably the most highly remunerated award program in the field, and we are very proud and happy to cooperate with our sponsoring partners. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to Metrohm for their generous support and congratulate all winners for their fantastic contributions.
Uwe Loyall, Head of Competence Center Voltammetry, CVS and Stability Measuring Instruments of Metrohm awarded a total of 17 winners at the end of the SCS Fall Meeting 2024 on September 5, 2024.
Winners of the Best Oral Presentation Awards 2024
Analytical Sciences | |
Winner | Verena Rukes, EPFL Lausanne |
Runner-up | Tobias Schöberl, ETH Zurich |
Catalysis Sciences & Engineering | |
Winner | Colin Hansen, ETH Zurich |
Runner-up | Giacomo Rigoni, University of Bern |
Computational Chemistry | |
Winner | Meghna Manae, ETH Zurich |
Runner-up | Jeff Guo, EPFL Lausanne |
Chemistry and the Environment | |
Winner | Kevin Kleemann, ETH Zurich |
Runner-up | Jannis Grafmüller, Ithaka Institut |
Inorganic Chemistry | |
Winner | Alessandro Walker, ETH Zurich |
Runner-up | Atena B. Solea, EPFL Lausanne |
Medicinal Chemistry & Chemical Biology | |
Winner | Vakil Takhaveev, ETH Zurich |
Organic Chemistry | |
Winner | Willi Amberg, ETH Zurich |
Runner-up | Oleksandr Vyhivski, University of Basel |
Physical Chemistry | |
Winner | Liza Briant, University of Geneva |
Runner-up | Livia Müller, University of Basel |
Materials Chemistry | |
Winner | Carlotta Seno, University of Basel |
Runner-up | Jana Wolf, Empa |
Prizes for Winners - certificate and cash contribution of CHF 500.00 Prizes for Runners‘ up |
Céline Wittwer, SCS
06.09.2024

Ilmac Lausanne 2024 is set to open on 18 September
Visitors can look forward to 18 and 19 September 2024 when Ilmac Lausanne becomes the biggest event for the chemical and life sciences industry in western Switzerland. At Expo Beaulieu Lausanne, more than 190 companies and associations will be exhibiting for the first time in the spacious Hall 36, whose 5,400 square meters are fully booked. The two-day event is expected to attract more than 2,500 decision-makers and experts from the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Taking advantage of the comprehensive trade fair and the international conference for inspiration, networking and knowledge transfer, they are looking for new ideas and solutions for their day-to-day work.
“Inspiring the Future of Chemistry and Life Sciences” is Ilmac’s pledge, and one that Brand Director Céline Futterknecht believes can be delivered. She is looking forward to the lifescience community coming together in western Switzerland. “Ilmac Lausanne is unique and offers high-quality, international content, innovations and megatrends in an unforgettable atmosphere. It is a place for inspiration and networking.
To date, a large number of interested parties have pre-registered already. Personally, I’m even aiming to reach the 3,000-visitor mark.” For the first time, the ticket price includes all-round catering on both days with coffee and croissants, a networking lunch, drinks, ice cream and an aperitif on the first evening of the trade fair.
Registration
Register for free as participant with the SCS opromo code: scs-ilmac24: Link to the Ticket Shop
Opening with the participation of State Councillor Isabelle Moret
The official opening of Ilmac 2024 will take place on Wednesday, September 18 at 5.00 pm. This event, supported by the Office for the Promotion of Economic Development and Innovation (SPEI), will benefit from the presence of State Councillor Isabelle Moret, Head of the DEIEP. The State Councillor will speak at the inauguration together with Céline Futterknecht, Ilmac Brand Director, Magali Bischof, Secretary General of BioAlps, and David Spichiger, Managing Director of the Swiss Chemical Society (SCS). Afterwards, there will be an opportunity for networking over drinks, finger food and music.
More exhibitors, more quality, more benefits
With more than 190 exhibitors from 20 different industries and 20 countries, there will be more companies in attendance at Ilmac 2024 than at the last trade fair two years ago, including notable leading companies from the chemical and life-sciences sector, such as Agilent, Bruker, Endress+Hauser, Milian, Thermo Fisher and Siemens. The newly established Startup Area is also fully booked for its debut with many newcomers from the biotech and labtech sectors. In addition to the exhibition, visitors can look forward to professionally moderated experiments, roundtables and panel discussions in the Speakers Corner and the Future Talks Corner.
Mapping the value chain of the life-science industry
The exhibiting companies will be presenting their products and solutions in the specialist areas of lab technology, diagnostics and bioanalysis, biotechnology, process technology, robotics and automation, information technology and pharmaceutical logistics.
There will also be a focus on interdisciplinary areas, such as digitisation, process optimisation and sustainability. Sustainability is another issue that is close to Brand Director Céline Futterknecht’s heart: “At MCH Group, we incorporate sustainability criteria in our decision-making processes, internal workflows, investments, the supply chain and our services and products – and Ilmac is no exception.”
Ilmac Conference with an international flavour
The science-driven conference agenda has been developed in close cooperation with the Swiss Chemical Society (SCS), Bio Alps Association and Swiss Biotech Association (SBA). Top domestic and international speakers will address the latest trends and challenges in their outstanding presentations. The presentations will be held in English.
Ilmac Conference, Day 1: «Latest Advances in (Semi-) Non-targeted Analysis»
Non-target-screening has developed in recent years from research into a promising method with a wide range of applications in analytical sciences. In the morning session renowned experts show latest advances of these methods in material science, laboratory medicine, water and agricultural research. The afternoon session will focus on specific applications in food chemistry, such as general spectra interpretation, non-target and semi-non-target contaminant search like PFAS. The symposium is intended for participants from academia, expert laboratories and industry.
The line-up of keynote speakers includes Oliver Schmidt from the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, Dr Thomas Letzel from Analytisches Forschungsinstitut for Non-Target Screening, Augsburg, Dr Samy Boulos from ETH Zurich and Dr Xanthippe Theurillat from the Nestle Research Center, Lausanne.
See the details program including abstracts
Download the program flyer Ilmac Conference 2024
Future of Labs, AI and ML
The second day will centre on Lab 4.0. In Session 1 “Future of Labs – Latest innovations and outlook”, key players such as JAG Jakob, SEED Biosciences, CEIDOS and HEPIA will be showcasing their case studies. Session 2 “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applied to drug development” will present case studies from key players developing and using AI and ML innovations to optimise and accelerate drug development. Among the high-calibre speakers are Jo Varshey of VeriSIM Life, Marion Bossy of SOPHiA GENETICS, Jean-Philippe Fricker of Cerebras and Loïc Roch of Atinary. The programme will be rounded off with networking events and a “Startup Pitch Session by Bio Alps & SBA”. Attendance of the Ilmac Conference is included in the ticket price.
Digital trade-fair preparation and networking via the app
Anyone who wants to make the best-possible preparations for their visit to the trade fair can visit 365.ilmac.ch for in-depth information, to view the interactive hall plan, to book appointments at the Ilmac Conference and in the Speakers Corner and to network with other people.
Detailed program information and tickets are available online at www.ilmac.ch. The tradefair management recommends traveling by public transport. From Lausanne railway station, bus-line 21 reaches the Beaulieu stop in 10 minutes.
Ilmac 2024 – Inspiring the Future of Chemistry and Life Sciences.
18 and 19 September 2024 from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Networking aperitif on 18 September from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
For details, please visit: www.ilmac.ch
Media Contacts
Anne Klipfel, Marketing & Communications Manager
Céline Futterknecht, Brand (Exhibition) Director
David Spichiger (SCS), Anne Klipfel (MCH)
04.09.2024
Page 5 of 298