The World Chemical Engineering Council was founded in 2001 at the World Congress of Chemical Engineering in Melbourne, Australia, to provide a global platform for chemical engineering cooperation.
Before WCEC, the international chemical engineering community was mainly represented by three regional federations:
While these federations played an essential role in connecting national societies, the structure did not cover all countries or regions and made it difficult to address chemical engineering issues of a truly global nature.
WCEC was created to strengthen international coordination, support global dialogue and provide a common platform for the chemical engineering profession.
Its foundation responded to a clear need: chemical engineering was increasingly facing challenges that went beyond individual countries or regions.
The World Congress of Chemical Engineering has always been central to WCEC’s history. Before the Council was created, it was the main joint activity of the regional federations, taking place in different regions of the world.
Today, WCEC works with the host organization to shape the program of the World Congresses of Chemical Engineering.