Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department - UC

Conference Announcement

Prof. Ignacio E. Grossmann, R.R. Dean University Professor of the Chemical Engineering Department of Carnegie Mellon University (USA), will deliver the conference “Computational Strategies for Optimizing Multiperiod Blending and Integrated Design of Wind Farms”. The event will take place next September 14th, 2026, at the conference room of ETSIIyT and it is organized in the frame of the Doctorate in Chemical Engineering, Energy and Processes of the University of Cantabria.

Research Stay

Luca Calantropo, a PhD student in Materials Science and Nanotechnology at the University of Catania (Italy), has been carrying out a research stay at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, within the DePRO Research Group, under the supervision of Dr. Guillermo Díaz-Sainz, from June to November 2026. The main objective of the research stay is to develop innovative electrodes for the electrochemical and photoelectrochemical conversion of CO₂ in both liquid- and gas-phase systems, with the aim of producing a range of value-added chemicals.

Research Stay

Dr. Adham Norkobilov from Karshi State Technical University (Uzbekistan) completed a short research stay at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, within the DePRO Research Group, under the supervision of Dr. Guillermo Díaz-Sainz, from July 20 to July 31, 2026. The primary objective of this research stay was to strengthen Dr. Norkobilov’s expertise in innovative carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and sustainable energy storage technologies while contributing to ongoing research activities within the project. The visit also served to reinforce and expand the scientific collaboration between Karshi State Technical University and the University of Cantabria, fostering future joint research initiatives between Uzbekistan and Spain.

Extended Reality: From Gaming to Engineering — a successful week of immersive learning in Camargo

Our colleagues Gloria González Lavín and Prof. Antonio Domínguez Ramos recently participated as instructors in the University of Cantabria Summer Course Extended Reality: From Gaming to Engineering, held from 20 to 24 July, 2026, at the Camargo Municipal Business Centre.

The 25-hour course was co-directed by our colleague Dr. Marcos Fallanza Torices, together with Dr. José Andrés Díaz Severiano.

The course offered a highly practical introduction to virtual, augmented and mixed reality, covering 3D modelling and texturing, immersive scene development, interactive programming with Unity, and application deployment using Meta Quest 3 headsets.
Throughout the week, participants developed and tested their own XR applications while exploring the growing potential of these technologies in engineering, industry, education, scientific research and digital communication.

Gloria led several sessions addressing the fundamentals of VR, AR and MR, the creation of realistic and interactive environments, and the final deployment and testing of the applications developed during the course. Antonio delivered a session on creating customised interactive elements through scripting.

Our colleague Dr. Clara Casado attended the course as a participant, taking part in this intensive and highly practical training experience.

The course was a great success, reaching full capacity with 15 participants. Congratulations to the course directors, the teaching team and all the participants for an inspiring week of innovation, creativity and hands-on learning!

SusChem Young Chemical Researchers Awards 2026

Dr. Guillermo Diaz, member of the DePro research group, has been named a finalist for the 2026 SusChem Young Chemical Researchers Awards in the Innova - Miguel Burdeos category, an award recognizing the best projects developed through public-private collaboration.

Guillermo Díaz was recognized for his work titled “Coupling Ni-based anodes for textile industry process stream electrooxidation with electrocatalytic CO₂ reduction to formate in the gas phase” developed at the University of Cantabria in collaboration with Textil Santanderina, S.A.

These awards aim to highlight the excellence, scientific impact, and innovative capacity of young researchers conducting scientific work in various fields of chemistry in Spain.

Link: https://www.suschem-es.org/premios_suschem.asp

VIII Conference on Educational Innovation in Chemical Engineering

Prof. María José Rivero and Dra. Cristina González, together with PhD student Miguel Viar, participated in the VIII Conference on Educational Innovation in Chemical Engineering (CIDIQ), held in Valencia from July 15 to 17, 2026. The CIDIQ is a biennial event that aims to promote the exchange of teaching experiences in the field of Chemical Engineering in order to advance the common goal of training skilled professionals in this field.

During the conference, María José Rivero delivered an oral presentation entitled “Academic fraud in university face-to-face assessment in the digital era: barriers, tools and institutional actions”. Cristina González presented the poster “Teacher-guided digital resources for problem solving in Chemical Engineering”. Miguel Viar contributed with the oral presentation “Introducing product design into the Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering course through active learning methodologies” and the poster “Evolution of performance indicators following the implementation of active learning strategies in the Dynamics and Control of Chemical Processes course”. In addition, the department’s participation was recognized with two awards. María José Rivero received the Silver Distinction in the Oral Presentation category, while Miguel Viar was awarded the Silver Distinction in the Poster category.

Link: https://neo.emma.events/cidiq2026

Summer Excursion

Last Friday, 17 July, 2026, members of our Department enjoyed a wonderful day together along the coast of Cantabria.

We started the morning with an 8.5 km circular hike from Tagle, following the scenic route towards Punta Ballota and the beautiful Ermita de Santa Justa. The walk gave us the opportunity to enjoy spectacular coastal landscapes, fresh air, and, most importantly, some relaxed time together outside our usual working environment.

After the hike, we gathered for lunch at Restaurante Llanda in Tagle, where we continued sharing conversations and good moments in a friendly atmosphere.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day such an enjoyable departmental activity. We look forward to many more opportunities to explore Cantabria together!

CAPTUS Project Meeting

Dr. Guillermo Díaz-Sainz and Dr. Aitor Marcos Madrazo recently participated in the Review Meeting of the CAPTUS project (Demonstrating Energy-Intensive Industry-Integrated Solutions to Produce Liquid Renewable Energy Carriers from Captured Carbon Emissions), held on 14–15 July, 2026, at the facilities of HyChem S.A. and Algae for Future (A4F) S.A. in Lisbon, Portugal.

Funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe programme, CAPTUS aims to develop and demonstrate innovative technologies that integrate energy-intensive industries with advanced carbon capture and utilization (CCU) processes to convert captured CO₂ emissions into liquid renewable energy carriers. The project brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of 18 partners from 8 countries, promoting international collaboration and accelerating the transition towards a more sustainable and circular energy system.

Visiting Researchers

Prof. Fèlix Llovell, Dr. Tiago M. Eusebio and Ph.D. Student Isaías Huenuvil-Pacheco from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili visited the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering on 14 July, 2026, to discuss ongoing and future research collaborations with Prof. Ane Urtiaga and Dr. Gabriel Zarca.

ECOMATES Final Conference

Prof. Angel Irabien, Prof. Inmaculada Ortiz, Dr. Guillermo Díaz-Sainz, and Dr. José Antonio Abarca represented the University of Cantabria at the ECOMATES Final Conference, "Power-to-X for a Sustainable Future", held at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík (Iceland), from 6 to 10 July 2026.

The conference was organized by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network ECOMATES, in which the University of Cantabria participates as an Associated Partner. The event brought together researchers, industry representatives, and other stakeholders to discuss the latest advances in Power-to-X technologies, including catalyst discovery, operando characterization, electrochemical device and reactor design, process integration, and sustainability assessment.

During the conference, researchers from the University of Cantabria presented the following contributions:
• Prof. Inmaculada Ortiz delivered the oral presentation "Green Hydrogen from Steam Electrolysis: Benefits and Limitations"
• Dr. Guillermo Díaz-Sainz delivered the oral presentation "Sustainable Formic Acid Production from CO₂ via Electrochemical Reduction in the Cement Industry"
• Dr. José Antonio Abarca delivered the oral presentation "Direct Conversion of CO₂ to CH₄ for Electrochemical Biogas Upgrading"
• Prof. Angel Irabien presented the poster "Analysis of CO₂ Concentration Effects on Electroreduction to Formate: A Multiphysics Simulation Study"

Link: https://www.msca-dn-ecomates.eu/?page_id=2146