UConn Tech Park was a hub of scientific exchange and industry collaboration earlier this month as it hosted the 4th Industrial Workshop on Separations Technology, organized by the Connecticut Center for Applied Separations Technologies (CCAST). The two-day event held in early October drew more than 100 participants from over 70 companies and universities, highlighting cutting-edge research and commercialization in the separations field.
The workshop opened with an Early Career session featuring 14 talks, a keynote by renowned separations scientist Kamalesh Sirkar, and a career panel with experts from academia, national labs, and startups. The following evening, a lively poster session showcased 25 research projects from students and postdocs representing more than a dozen labs nationwide.
This year’s program expanded on its tradition of connecting science with application. Technical presentations and panels covered a range of topics, including new membrane materials, gas and water separations, and critical materials recovery. Speakers from both industry and academia—including Francesco Benedetti (Osmoses), Emily Rabe (Membrion), Eric Hoek (UCLA), and Tom Pankratz (Global Water Intelligence)—shared insights into emerging technologies and market trends.
Panels on venture capital, critical materials, and water technology brought together investors, entrepreneurs, and researchers to discuss commercialization challenges and sustainability opportunities. In the popular startup pitch competition, Recovered Potential, a Stanford spinout developing ammonia recovery technologies, won first place, followed by OsmoPure Technologies from the University of Colorado Boulder.
CCAST also showcased its state-of-the-art separations laboratory, located at Tech Park, where it advances both academic and industry research in water treatment, gas separation, and membrane development.
Sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, UConn College of Engineering, Verico Technology LLC, and others, the workshop continues to grow as a premier forum for innovation at the intersection of science, engineering, and sustainability.
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