Clean Technologies | The 2nd Editorial Board Meeting Summary
On 27 November 2025, the 2nd Editorial Board meeting of Clean Technologies (ISSN: 2571-8797) was successfully held online, presided over by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Patricia Luis Alconero. We express our sincere gratitude to all participants for their insightful contributions and valuable input. We are eager to engage more Editorial Board Members in future meetings to further enhance the development of the journal. The meeting content is as follows.
Review of journal performance:
The meeting began with a comprehensive review of the journal's performance in 2025, focusing on the following key areas:
- Key journal statistics: Data on publications and submissions and an in-depth analysis of the journal's rejection statistics;
- IF and CiteScore: The real-time IF and CiteScore and predictions of them were shown;
- Overview of the Editorial Board: The composition and roles of the Editorial Board were discussed, highlighting the proportion of EBM activity;
- Journal’s Marketing Work in 2025: Social promotion, conference sponsorship, webinars, journal awards, etc., were discussed.
Strategic discussion for journal development:
To promote the further development and promotion of Clean Technologies, the discussion shifted to the following crucial topics:
1. New hot topics that our journal should focus on
The recommended topics in our last meeting are clean technologies with a circular economy concept, hydrogen-related technologies, and discussions of environmental impact, such as energy savings or pollutant reduction.
Prof. Patricia Luis Alconero emphasized the increasing importance of PFAS and other micropollutants, particularly in water. She highlighted both the need to replace PFAS-containing materials and the urgent requirement for new technologies that can treat pollutants already present in water systems. She also suggested focusing on advanced oxidation processes, membrane technologies, and other emerging purification technologies. Furthermore, she proposed exploring the recovery of metals from water, especially via lithium extraction and recycling, because battery recycling is becoming both environmentally challenging and technologically strategic.
Dr. Diganta Das added several broader themes. He recommended expanding toward the integration of digital technologies with clean technologies, such as autonomous systems and the transition to Industry 4.0/5.0 concepts. According to him, many modern clean technologies, hydrogen systems, water treatment systems, and circular processes are becoming increasingly automated, and the journal should capture this trend. He also supported Patricia’s suggestion of a focus on metal extraction and circular metallurgical processes, noting the growing relevance of pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy with emphasis on energy efficiency and circularity.
Dr. Rebeka Kovačič Lukman proposed incorporating deep technologies related to the circular economy, drawing from a major EUR 20-million EU project in which she is involved. She viewed these deep-tech solutions as highly aligned with the journal's clean-technology orientation.
2. Recommending some influential conferences related to Clean Technologies
Prof. Patricia Luis Alconero mentioned the CHISA conference in Chemical Engineering (planned for the summer), Dr. Das discussed a major PhD-focused clean-technology event in Loughborough in September, and Dr. Kovačič Lukman highlighted that she participates in many high-level international conferences and will share details by email for potential journal promotion or sponsorship.
3. Recommending some other platforms for the journal promotion
In terms of platforms for journal promotion, the experts proposed several creative initiatives beyond traditional social media. Dr. Das recommended creating an Early Career Researcher (ECR) Forum, meeting quarterly, to actively engage PhD students and postdocs, the group most likely to publish frequently. He also suggested potential collaborations with professional societies (e.g., InterPore UK Chapter), including sponsoring poster awards named after the journal. Prof. Patricia Luis Alconero suggested outreach to secondary schools, creating youth competitions where students build simple environmental or clean-tech prototypes. She emphasized that although the short-term impact may be modest, the long-term benefit for journal visibility, reputation, and societal engagement is significant.
Regarding the Academic Publishing Workshop and webinars, all three members strongly supported these activities. They considered them valuable for educating young researchers, promoting the journal, and strengthening collaboration with universities. Both Patricia and Rebeka expressed interest in hosting such workshops at their institutions, and Dr. Das emphasized the importance of webinars as an effective promotional tool.