Dr. Ryan Siddall
Innovation and Partnerships Manager at Newcastle University
Abstract: Collaborative PhD research is often perceived by industry as slow, blue‑sky, and disconnected from commercial priorities. In today’s volatile economic and geopolitical climate, that perception is increasingly outdated. This article challenges common misconceptions about doctoral research, using the Process Industries Net Zero Centre for Doctoral Training (PINZ CDT) as a case study. It highlights how industry‑engaged PhDs can deliver early, tangible impact, provide access to world‑class facilities and expertise, and build long‑term capability within the chemical sector. By focusing on co‑created projects, pragmatic delivery, and net zero challenges, collaborative PhDs can become a powerful route to competitive advantage.
A comment I hear all too often from industry leaders, and to be honest, I completely understand it.
In a commercial environment driven by quarterly targets, market volatility, and rising operational costs, the idea of investing in a PhD can feel like a luxury few businesses can afford. When people think of doctoral research, what typically comes to mind? Long-term projects. Years spent in a laboratory chasing an uncertain breakthrough. Blue‑sky science that is intellectually rewarding but far removed from business‑critical challenges.
Perhaps that perception was once valid. Today, it is increasingly out of step with reality.
In a turbulent economic climate, coupled with geopolitical instability and inflated energy costs, collaborative PhD research is not an indulgence, it can be a genuine difference-maker. When designed well, industry‑engaged PhDs deliver focused, agile research that tackles real‑world problems while building long‑term capability within organisations.
The Process Industries Net Zero Centre for Doctoral Training (PINZ CDT) is challenging these outdated stereotypes, demonstrating how PhD research can be an active, industry‑embedded driver of change in the chemical sector.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), PINZ brings together the Process Intensification Group at Newcastle University and the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence at the University of York. Our purpose is simple but ambitious: to deliver 55 PhD projects co‑created with industry partners, each tackling a genuine, real‑world net zero challenge. In the process, the CDT is developing 55 future leaders for the process industries; researchers with an innovation‑led mindset, fluency in net zero thinking, and the ability to work seamlessly across the chemistry–chemical engineering interface.
So how do we make sure that impact, rather than curiosity alone, is the central focus of our work?
One of the key differences is where our PhD projects begin. Unlike many traditional programmes, ideas do not originate solely from academia. Instead, we have flipped the model on its head. We start by listening to industry to understand the day‑to‑day net zero challenges that organisations are dealing with right now. Through conversations with industrial partners, we identify where process efficiency can be improved, reactions optimised, energy consumption reduced, and risk removed. Those challenges are then matched to academic expertise, not the other way around.
From there, PhD projects are genuinely co‑created between industry and academia, with a clear line of sight to implementation. The goal is not a report that sits on a shelf, but outputs that can be integrated into the business as soon as they are ready. Crucially, the model is deliberately simple and transparent: a £12,500 per year investment (£50,000 total) that industry partners can easily align with existing R&D and innovation budgets.
A doctoral researcher is then recruited to work on the project over four years, embedded in the partnership and working closely with the company. Over time, they become a genuine expert in the organisation’s processes, products, and constraints, adding value throughout the project, not just at its conclusion.
Many partner companies are also making use of the concept of a ‘PhD by portfolio’, where a student tackles a series of interlinked projects over the course of their doctorate. This approach broadens the scope and reach of the research, spreading impact across multiple parts of the business and making the investment even more compelling to those responsible for allocating R&D budgets.
Crucially, research is only one part of the equation. Alongside their doctoral work, students receive extensive training in the skills and competencies that businesses consistently tell us they need. An industrial advisory board feeds directly into the programme, ensuring that training remains commercially relevant and aligned with industry expectations.
From day one, students are trained in life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno‑economic analysis (TEA). Understanding both the environmental and economic implications of research is non‑negotiable. These tools enable researchers to make informed decisions about the direction of their work, grounding innovation in reality. Gone are the days of pursuing something simply because it is ‘interesting’, if it has little chance of delivering meaningful commercial or societal impact.
We welcomed our first cohort of students in October 2024, and their work is already delivering tangible impact for partner companies.
One project is focussed on energy optimisation in wastewater treatment plants, and has already identified savings worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, with a payback period of just one year. Another has progressed to on‑site implementation of an optimisation tool supporting cryogenic bulk liquid production, using real‑time operational data and spot electricity prices to determine optimal nitrogen production windows. These are not end‑of‑programme aspirations; they are outcomes being realised early in the PhD journey.
These examples represent just two projects from our initial cohort of 20 students.
Companies engaging with the PINZ CDT range from multinational organisations such as Johnson Matthey and Procter & Gamble to medium size companies like Thomas Swan, to early‑stage start‑ups with only a handful of employees, including Purifire Energy. That diversity is intentional, and it matters. It reflects the breadth of challenges facing the process industries and the versatility of the collaborative PhD model.
More importantly, it is helping to build a connected community of industrialists, academics, and doctoral researchers with complementary expertise across chemistry and chemical engineering. This network, rooted in shared challenges and pragmatic innovation, is one of the most powerful and enduring legacies the CDT will create.
The message is simple: it’s time to throw out what you think you know about PhD research. In a challenging economic climate, where the priority is understandably on keeping the lights on, collaborative PhD programmes can still play a strategic role, not as a cost, but as a route to competitive advantage. By focusing on real‑world problems, delivering value early, and embedding researchers within businesses, this model of PhD research looks very different from the stereotypes that persist. That is why we are attending Chemspec Europe: to share what we are seeing in practice, to challenge outdated assumptions, and to start conversations with companies who want innovation that is relevant, timely and commercially meaningful.
This topic was explored further in a session at Chemspec Europe 2026 at the Koelnmesse, Germany which took place between 6-7 of May 2026. For more information visit: https://www.chemspeceurope.com/en-gb.html
About the author
Dr Ryan Siddall is Innovation and Partnerships Manager at Newcastle University, where he connects process sector organisations with academic expertise to tackle real‑world innovation challenges. He works closely with companies to understand strategic needs and identify opportunities for impactful collaboration with academia.
With a background in chemistry and a PhD in engineering from Newcastle and Durham Universities, Ryan is a passionate advocate for the UK process industries, with a particular focus on supporting innovation and growth in the North East.
