Personal profile
Memberships of committees and professional bodies
Memberships
- Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
- Fellow IChemE
My group
Research Group(s)
- Centre for Process Integration
- Process Integration
- Sustainable Industrial Systems
Biography
Professor Robin Smith is Director of the Centre for Process Integration in the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science of the University of Manchester. He is co-founder of Process Integration Limited and Process Asset Integration Management Limited (ProAim), both spin-out companies from the University. He has extensive industrial experience with Rohm & Haas in process investigation, production and process design, and with ICI in process modelling and process integration. He has acted extensively as a consultant to industry in process integration projects. He has published widely in the field of process integration and is author of “Chemical Process Design and Integration”, published by Wiley. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers in the UK and a Chartered Engineer. In 1992 he was awarded the Hanson Medal of the Institution of Chemical Engineers for his work on waste minimisation. In 2018 he was awarded the Sargent Medal of the Institution of Chemical Engineers in recognition of over 35 years leadership and pioneering research leading to conceptual development of advanced process integration principles and methodologies.
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Research interests
Research interests include energy conservation, design of heat recovery systems, design and optimization of utility systems, distillation systems and design of sustainable processes.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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A hybrid algorithm framework for heat exchanger networks synthesis considering the optimal locations of multiple utilities
Yang, L., Yang, Z., Akram, N., Chang, C., Mo, W., Shen, W., Zhang, N. & Smith, R., 5 Jan 2025, In: Chemical Engineering Science. 120732.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Environmental and economic sustainability assessment of biofuels from valorising spent coffee grounds
Gosalvitr, P., Cuellar Franca, R., Smith, R. & Azapagic, A., 1 Dec 2025, In: Cleaner Environmental Systems. 100237.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Heat exchanger network synthesis with optimal waste heat recovery and multiple hot utilities
Yang, Z., Pan, T., Zhang, N. & Smith, R., Jun 2025, In: Energy.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Multi-objective-period heat exchanger network synthesis and decarbonization for industrial-scale crude oil distillation system
Yang, Z., Pan, T., Chang, C., Zhang, S., Zhang, N. & Smith, R., Jul 2025, In: Energy.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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BEELINE: BilevEl dEcomposition aLgorithm for synthesis of Industrial eNergy systEms
Jimenez Romero, J., Azapagic, A. & Smith, R., 1 Jan 2024, In: Computers and Chemical Engineering. 180, p. 1-28 28 p., 108406.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
Prizes
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Sargent Medal of the Institution of Chemical Engineers
Smith, R. (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Impacts
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CPI – Centre for Process Integration
Smith, R. (Participant), Towler, G. (Participant), Benton, M. (Participant), Zhang, N. (Participant), Perry, S. (Participant), Asante, N. (Participant), Alves, J. (Participant), Saine Aye, M. (Participant), Chen, L. (Participant), Varbanov, P. (Participant), Makwana, Y. (Participant) & Liu, F. (Participant)
Impact: Technological, Economic, Environmental
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Increasing productivity in the process industries through the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning for the optimisation of distillation operations
Smith, R. (Participant), Benton, M. (Participant), Zhang, N. (Participant) & Ochoa-Estopier, L. (Participant)
Impact: Economic, Environmental