Process Systems Engineering-Incubating Sustainability for Industrial Revolution 4.0

Dear Colleagues,

Process systems engineering (PSE) plays a crucial role in enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of industrial systems by employing advanced methodologies to optimize processes. PSE allows for the meticulous design, modeling, and control of complex industrial systems, ensuring that every component operates at peak efficiency. With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), these capabilities have been significantly augmented. AI-driven modeling and analysis tools enable more accurate predictions, better decision-making, and seamless integration of various subsystems, leading to improved overall performance. By leveraging AI, PSE can now tackle increasingly complex challenges, making it possible to manage and optimize large-scale industrial operations with unprecedented precision and efficiency.

In parallel, the global push towards carbon reduction has intensified the focus on environmental considerations within industrial operations. As industries are being held to stricter environmental standards, there is a growing need to evaluate and optimize processes not just for economic gain but also for their environmental impact. This holistic approach requires the analysis of industrial systems through multiple approaches, including energy consumption, waste generation, and emissions. PSE provides the tools to perform such multi-faceted analyses, enabling industries to balance economic performance with environmental responsibility. By integrating these methodologies, PSE not only helps industries to meet their carbon reduction targets but also ensures that these efforts are economically viable and technologically feasible. This systemic approach is essential for driving the transition towards more sustainable industrial practices while maintaining competitiveness in a rapidly evolving market.

The latest research in this intriguing field was presented and discussed at the 2024 PSE Asia International Symposium (https://www.pseasia2024.org/) held in Penang, Malaysia, on 5-8 August 2024. The PSE Asia series is a biennial international symposium in Asia, bringing together researchers and practitioners to discuss recent developments in Process Systems Engineering. PSE Asia 2024 is the 11th symposium, following previous events in Kyoto (2000), Taipei (2002), Seoul (2005), Xi’an (2007), Singapore (2010), Kuala Lumpur (2013), Tokyo (2016), Bangkok (2019), Taipei (2020), and Chennai (2022). This Special Issue is a reflection of the high-quality papers presented at the 2024 PSE ASIA International Symposium. This Special Issue aims to showcase the most recent advances in process dynamics and control, product and process design, supply chain management, PSE for circular economy/sustainable processes, PSE for process safety and operations,  process integration and optimization, artificial intelligence and big data, and education in process systems engineering and industry applications.

Dr. Tin Sin Lee
Prof. Dr. Thomas S.Y. Choong
Guest Editors

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