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ASM Fellow, Professor Ir Dr Dominic Foo FASc, has reached another milestone in his research career with the launch of two books on sustainable industrial practices that offer insights and solutions to key challenges in climate action, industrial decarbonisation, and water conservation.
The two books, Process Systems Engineering Tools for Industrial Decarbonization and Industrial Water Conservation: Systematic Design Tools and Case Studies, reflect Professor Foo’s longstanding research interests in industrial waste minimisation, resource conservation and carbon dioxide (CO₂) reduction. They also support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation and SDG 13 on Climate Action.
The first book, Process Systems Engineering Tools for Industrial Decarbonization, was launched on 5 August 2026 at De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila, Philippines. Published by Elsevier, the book was edited by Professor Foo together with Professor Raymond Tan and Professor John Frederick Tapia of DLSU. It brings together contributions from experts from several countries, including the United Kingdom, China, the Philippines and Malaysia.
The book focuses on using process systems engineering and mathematical decision-making tools to support industrial decarbonisation. It explores approaches for planning, designing and optimising low-carbon industrial systems, with particular attention to emerging technologies such as Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and Negative Emission Technologies (NETs). It also highlights the importance of systematic decision-making as these technologies develop and become increasingly viable for large-scale deployment.
The second book, Industrial Water Conservation: Systematic Design Tools and Case Studies, was launched on 9 September 2026 during the 35th Symposium of Malaysian Chemical Engineers (SOMChE). Published by Elsevier, the book was co-authored by Professor Foo with Professor Thokozani Majozi of South Africa, Professor Xiao Feng and Professor Chun Deng of China.
Addressing the challenges of industrial water use, the book introduces established process integration approaches for water conservation, including water pinch analysis and mathematical programming techniques. It combines the fundamental principles of water recovery system design with industrial case studies, demonstrating how these approaches can be applied in real-world settings. The case studies span sectors including chemicals and petrochemicals, food and beverage, textiles, pharmaceuticals and power generation.
Together, the two books show how systematic engineering tools can help industries address two pressing sustainability challenges: reducing carbon emissions and conserving water resources. Rather than focusing solely on individual technologies, both books emphasise structured design, optimisation, and decision-making approaches to translate sustainability goals into practical industrial solutions.
Professor Foo is internationally recognised for his work in process design and integration, resource conservation and CO₂ reduction. He is a Professor of Process Design and Integration at the University of Nottingham Malaysia and founding director of its Centre for Green Technologies. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, the Institution of Chemical Engineers and the Institution of Engineers Malaysia.
The publication and launch of these two books further extend Professor Foo’s contribution to sustainable industrial development, providing researchers, students and industry practitioners with systematic tools and practical case studies to support the transition towards more resource-efficient and lower-carbon industrial systems.