12th October 2023, Larnaca (Cyprus): the creation of the “Working party on Mechanochemistry” is approved within the European Chemical Society (EuChemS). It is the start of a unique initiative at a global scale and a significant milestone for mechanochemistry in Europe is reached.
The foundations of this Professional Network (PN) were established through the strong commitment of the former members of the European Programme COST Action CA18112 ‘Mechanochemistry for Sustainable Industry’. Officially launched in 2024, it already includes 32 delegates representing 22 National Chemical Societies across Europe. The PN “Working party on Mechanochemistry” brings together experts in various fields of mechanochemistry and contribute to promote an innovative approach for “thinking chemistry differently”.
The main objective of Working Party on Mechanochemistry within EuChemS is to serve as a common platform for bringing together chemists and specialists from the member societies of EuChemS who have shared interests in the fields of mechanochemistry, mechanically alloy powders, and mechano-chemical processing in general.
Among its goals, the Working Party on Mechanochemistry aims to:
i) Become the leading forum for exchange and promote understanding and the importance of mechanochemistry and its principles, helping to mitigate the negative effects of conventional chemical and energy production by transitioning towards more environmentally friendly technologies, as a means of achieving the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the EU Green Deal;
ii) Promote the broadest implementation of mechanochemistry in core chemistry and its interconnected disciplines, in academic and research institutions, in industry, in professional activities, and in educational programmes;
iii) Inspire and assist National Chemical Societies in promoting the interests, role, and importance of mechanochemistry in their Countries;
iv) Strengthen the role and image of mechanochemistry in the chemical sciences, attract the general public and policymakers through social media, newsletters, and the organization of conferences and workshops open to society.
These objectives can only be achieved by strengthening networking across various areas of expertise at the European and international level, facilitating communication between chemists historically interested in this field and those wishing to integrate it, with particular attention to early-career researchers and lifelong interdisciplinary learning in Europe, and beyond.
The Working Party on Mechanochemistry will also ensure, among other things, that its activities promote collaborative efforts and networking with other divisions and/or national working groups and EuChemS member societies, as well as with other European and international organizations, as appropriate, for the cross-fertilisation of knowledge in mechanochemistry.