14 April - 16 April 2027

43rd SCI Process Development Symposium

Organised by:

Churchill College, Cambridge, UK

Prices start from £395.00

Early bird offer ends 25 January 2027

Synopsis

Process Development is the application of chemistry to the scale up of new synthetic processes from the laboratory, through pilot plant to full scale commercial manufacture and into life cycle management. It is an extremely broad discipline, crossing the boundaries between synthetic organic chemistry, process technology and chemical engineering.
The area of Process Development continues to be a challenging and important area for the research into and application of modern synthetic organic chemistry, as well as enabling technologies.

Attendees

The symposium aims to bring together a wide range of speakers from across the Pharmaceutical, Agrochemical and Fine Chemical industries, as well as from an academic background. This meeting brings together experts from across the entire spectrum of the discipline to present state of the art process development.

Bursaries

A limited number of bursaries are available to post-graduate students and/or post-doctoral researchers working in the UK or Europe as a contribution to the cost of registration fees, travel and accommodation. Preference will be given to applicants who apply to present a poster. For more information and to receive an application form, please contact conferences@soci.org with “43 PDS – Student Bursary” in the title by Friday 27 November 2026.

Call for posters

Opportunities are available for a limited number of posters presenting research with the actual or potential application to Process Development. Topics may include, but are not limited to, synthetic methodology & synthesis, process technology & engineering, reaction kinetics & modelling, biocatalytic transformations or analytical chemistry such that it is useful for the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients or agrochemicals on scale. Applications are welcomed from students, academic and/or industrial researchers.

Interested applicants should send an abstract of maximum one A4 page or 300 words, indicating title and authors to, conferences@soci.org by Friday 27 November 2026 with the subject line “43 PDS – Poster Submission. An SCI_Abstract_Template. can be downloaded.

Programme

Wednesday 14 April

11.00: Registration and refreshments
12.15: Lunch and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON: Dr John Carey, Process Development Committee Chair

12.25: Opening remarks
13.30: Recent use cases that profit from automation, digitalization and application of AI in modern process development
Dr Ulrich Scholz, Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany
14.10: ReactIR monitoring of turbo-hauser base formation enables a robust iodination reaction during an early scale-up campaign
Dr Fabien Jean Thomas Talbot, SAI Life Sciences, UK
14.50: Impurities for process chemists: Towards global harmonisation for specifications via the ICH Q6 revision
Dr Oliver Dirat, Pfizer, UK
15.30: Refreshment break and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Richard Horan, GSK, UK

16.10: Case study - asymmetric hydroboration
Dr Nick Race, Gilead, USA
16.50: Chemical reactivity in the age of prediction: From mechanistic insight to synthetic advances
Prof Franziska Schonebeck, RWTH Aachen, Germany
17.20: Closing remarks
17.30: Wine reception sponsored by Chiralquest (until 18.15)
19.00: Dinner for residents of the college

Thursday 15 April

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Hilmar Weinmann, Johnson & Johnson, Belgium

09.00: Process analytical: Connecting instruments, data, scientists, and automation
Pearse Solon Johnson & Johnson, Belgium
09.40: Bayesian optimisation and DoE as tools to accelerate early- and late-stage PR&D
Dr Olga Sokolova, Symeres B.V, The Netherlands
10.20: Refreshment break and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON

10.50: Real-time process understanding: Harnessing FlowNMR and online MS in industry
Dr Dawid Drelinkiewicz, Syngenta, UK
11.30: Case study
Chiesi pharmaceuticals, Italy
12.10: Lunch and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Matt Burns, AstraZeneca UK

13.10: Route design
Dr Gareth Howell, AstraZeneca, UK
13.50: Xanomeline tartrate: A journey from lab to commercial manufacture
Mr M V R Candra Murthy, Neuland, India
14.30: Case study
15.10: Refreshment break and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Harvey Dale, Syngenta, UK

15.40: Midazolam: applying flow manufacturing to a mature high-volume API
Dr Daniele Vigo, Cambrex, Italy
16.20: Process Chemistry Award Winner 2027
To be announced in December 2026
17.20: Closing remarks
17.30: Wine reception (until 18.15)
19.00: Symposium dinner

Friday 16 April

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Rob Walton, Asymchem, UK

09.00: Kineticolor
Prof Marc Reid, Kineticolor, UK
09.40: P2X3 receptor antagonist: Addressing cost and supply challenges in the development of a multi-Indication asset
Dr Joerg Gries, Bayer, Germany
10.20: Refreshment break and exhibition

CHAIRPERSON: Dr Max Espensen, Pharmaron, UK

10.50: Case study
Pfizer, Ireland
11.30: Application of HTE and catalysis at Pharmaron UK
Dr Alex Zhurakovskyi, Pharmaron, UK
12.10: Close

SCI’s Fine Chemicals Group are committed to promoting diversity and equality in the chemical sciences. We aim to identify high quality speakers for all our conferences with full inclusivity where attendees from all backgrounds are welcome. We are open to offering flexible presentation options.

Sponsorship and Exhibitor information

To be added to the list to receive further information and prices in Autumn 2026, please email conferences@soci.org.

Accessibility Grants

SCI accessibility grants are available to support SCI members with disabilities, long term health conditions, those who require a carer, and members who are nursing parents to attend SCI events. Download an application form to apply for a grant.

Venue and Contact

Churchill College

Storey's Way
Cambridge
CB3 0DS

Conference Team

Tel: +44 (0)20 7598 1561

Email: conferences@soci.org

Fees

Early bird- ends Monday 25 January 2027
SCI Member no accommodation - £395
Non-member no accommodation - £480

SCI member with ensuite accommodation - £678
Non-member with ensuite accommodation - £763

After early bird
SCI Member no accommodation - £520
Non-member no accommodation - £595

SCI member with ensuite accommodation - £803
Non-member with ensuite accommodation - £878

All registrations will automatically receive a confirmation within 24 hours of registering for the event. Should you not receive written confirmation of your booking, please email conferences@soci.org.

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Booking Process/Deadlines

Booking terms and conditions

CPD Info

All delegates attending this meeting are able to claim CPD points.

Gold Exhibitor

Silver Exhibitors

Sinocompound Corporation
Hellma

Bronze Exhibitors

Bellen Chemistry
Almac
Tecnobis
Cambrex

Organising committee

Matt Burns, AstraZeneca
John Carey, Indivior
Harvey Dale, Syngenta
Hilmar Weinmann, Johnson & Johnson
Max Espensen, Pharmaron
Richard Horan, GSK
Robert Walton, Asymchem