Ms. Mercedes Maroto-Valer

Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer (FRSE, FIChemE, FRSC, FRSA, FEI) is Champion and Director of the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) focused on accelerating the transition to net zero of the UK industrial clusters and establishing the first world net-zero industrial cluster. Prof Maroto-Valer is Deputy Principal (Global Sustainability) at Heriot-Watt University, leading institutional and global changes in sustainability, making a significant impact on achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and working with partners to achieve global carbon reduction targets through the development of university wide initiatives (UK, Dubai and Malaysia). She is also director of the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) at Heriot-Watt University. RCCS is a world leading multidisciplinary centre delivering innovation for the wider deployment of low-carbon energy systems required for meeting net-zero targets. Her internationally recognized track record covers energy systems, CCUS, integration of hydrogen technologies and low carbon fuels
She has held research and academic appointments at the University of Kentucky, Pennsylvania State University and University of Nottingham. She joined Heriot-Watt in 2012 as the first Robert Buchan Chair in Sustainable Engineering and has been Director of the Energy Academy and Head of the Institute of Mechanical, Process and Energy Engineering and Assistant Deputy Principal (Research and Innovation).

Her internationally recognized track record covers energy systems, CCUS, integration of hydrogen technologies and low-carbon fuels. She has over 550 publications, holds leading positions in professional societies and editorial boards and has received numerous international prizes and awards.