Trade Fairs, Exhibitions, Conferences

The DECHEMA FORUM brings together experts from industry, academia, and research to tackle the pressing question – how can the process industries defossilize and stay competitive at the same time?

Fraunhofer IMM will be participating this year with three presentations and a workshop. The focus will be on the use of AI and its application in optimizing chemical processes, the biocatalytic synthesis of chiral fine chemicals, and cascade reactions in continuous flow.

Our Division Flow & Formulation Chemistry team looks forward to inspiring discussions, new collaborations, and connecting with partners from academia and industry.

Lecture “AI-Driven Self-Optimizing Organometallic and Electrochemical Flow Synthesis Platforms for Accelerated Chemical and Pharmaceutical Process Development”

Dr. Iryna Savych | Fraunhofer IMM | Germany
Wednesday September 16, 2026 | 3:10 p.m.
Session "AI-Driven Intelligence"
Topic 06 "Digitalization, AI & Automation"

What’s about? The presentation highlights flow synthesis automated platforms for organometallic and electrochemical reactions, enabling accelerated process optimization, improved sustainability, and faster scale-up from laboratory to industrial production. Discover how AI-driven self-optimization can reduce development times, enhance process efficiency and support the transition toward more sustainable and digitalized manufacturing in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Lecture “Electron-mediated Biocatalyzed Synthesis of Chiral Fine Chemicals in Microstructured Flow Reactors”

Dr. Johannes Rocker | Fraunhofer IMM
Wednesday September 16, 2026 | 11:20 a.m.
Session "Electrochemical Engineering for the Process Industry"
Topic 07 "Electrification of the Process Industry"

What’s about? The development of an electrochemical co-factor regeneration system to drive biocatalyzed transformations with high stereoselectivity in continuous flow. Discover how bioelectrocatalysis can be implemented in microreactor technology, simplify the regeneration of co-factors and build chiral centers selectively under mild conditions.

Lecture “Assisted Biocatalysis and Cascade Reactions in Continuous Flow: Novel Process Windows in Chiral Fine Chemicals Synthesis and Industrial Biotechnology”

Dr. Thomas Rehm | Fraunhofer IMM
Wednesday September 16, 2026 | 4:20 p.m.
Session "Advanced Biorefineries: Integrating Catalysis from Lab to Industrial Scale"
Topic 10 "Integrated Bio-/Chemo-/Catalytic Process Chains"

What’s about? Latest developments in material design for hybrid catalysts that enable photo- and biocatalysis in one stage for reactive intermediate generation and subsequent consumption in an enzymatic process in continuous flow. Discover how you can prepare tailored hybrid catalysts as supraparticulate materials, use them in dedicated continuous flow reactors, apply such hybrid catalysts in the synthesis of chiral fluorinated alcohols.

Workshop „Aspects of Digitalization – Self-optimization in Chemical Process Development”

Moderated by Dr. Patrick Löb, Dr. Lars Gössl, Dr. Johannes Rocker, Dr. Iryna Savych, Dr. Ralph Sperling (all Fraunhofer IMM)
Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 3.30-5.00 p.m.

What’s about? Digitalization is transforming the chemical industry—from R&D to production and supply chains. This workshop focuses on opportunities and challenges of self-optimizing lab set-ups in process development, combining automated experiments (often with flow reactors), Process Analytical Technology, and optimization algorithms. We’ll present and discuss practical approaches and tools to support wider adoption.