Prof Mercedes Maroto-Valer OBE (FRSE, FIChemE, FRSC, FRSA, FEI) is Champion and Director of the UK Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) focused on accelerating the sustainable transition of industries to net zero. She is Director of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Green Industrial Futures.

Prof Maroto-Valer is Deputy Principal (Global Sustainability) at Heriot-Watt University, leading the sustainability agenda, making a significant impact on achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across all the campus locations (Scotland, Dubai and Malaysia). She is director of the Research Centre for Carbon Solutions (RCCS) at Heriot-Watt University, where she holds the Robert Buchan Chair in Sustainable Energy Engineering. She has previously held academic appointments at the University of Kentucky, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Nottingham.

Prof Maroto-Valer holds leading positions in professional societies and strategic boards, including the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET), an independent advisory council to the United Nations Secretary General. She represents the UK at the global intergovernmental clean energy initiative Mission Innovation – Technical Advisory Group. She is also member of the Science and Technology Advisory Council of the UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), providing evidence-based information to support key decisions to guide the country’s energy security and net zero policies.