Exeter engineer awarded Royal Academy Fellowship

An engineer who specialises in making chemical manufacturing and energy storage more sustainable has been awarded a prestigious early-career research fellowship.

Dr Mengnan Wang, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter, is among 13 of the brightest prospects in her field to receive the honour from the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Supported by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, the Research Fellowships offer “exceptional early-career engineering researchers” funding over five years to pursue an ambitious programme of independent research and establish themselves as future leaders.

Dr Wang will use the Fellowship to develop more efficient carbon dioxide electrolysers that use renewable electricity to convert captured CO₂ into valuable chemicals, including ethylene, a key building block for plastics and other everyday materials.

“I am honoured that the Royal Academy of Engineering has recognised my ambition to make chemical manufacturing more sustainable using renewable electricity and CO₂,” said Dr Wang, of Exeter’s Department of Engineering. “This Fellowship provides an exciting opportunity to turn that vision into reality by developing innovative technologies that can transform how we produce essential chemicals.”

Chemical manufacturing relies heavily on fossil carbon and is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable electricity can convert captured CO₂ into valuable products such as ethylene, but current electrolysers are not yet efficient, stable or scalable enough for industry.

Dr Wang will develop a new generation of CO₂ electrolysers that operate in acidic conditions, aiming to convert more of the captured gas into valuable chemicals rather than allowing it to go to waste. By carefully controlling the conditions around the reaction sites, developing new materials and using computer simulations to guide their design, her research will pave the way for more efficient, reliable and scalable CO₂ electrolysers.

“This is a remarkable achievement,” said Professor Ion Sucala, Personal Chair in Engineering Management, and Head of Engineering at the University. “Mengnan’s work is a compelling combination of scientific innovation, sustainability, and industrial application, and we wish her every success with the Fellowship. Mengnan’s work will contribute significantly to the success of our ambitious Exeter Engineering 2030 strategy.”

Dr Christina Guindy, Associate Director of Research Programmes, Royal Academy of Engineering, added: “This year’s incredible awardees embody the Academy’s mission of Engineering a Better Future. From addressing long-overlooked challenges in women’s healthcare to advancing pioneering research in areas like AI and clean energy, these researchers are pushing the boundaries of engineering innovation.

“Supporting early-career researchers is essential to strengthening the UK’s global competitiveness and economic growth, while helping to develop the next generation of research leaders whose work will shape our future.”

This year’s awards, which included a further 11 UK Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowships, covered areas as varied as healthcare, AI and renewable energy. For more information, visit the Royal Academy of Engineering website