Our People
Our Groups
Prof. Dermot O’Hare
Director
Professor of Organometallic and Materials Chemistry
MPLS Associate Head for Industrial Liaison and Innovation
Professor Dermot O'Hare is a Professor of Organometallic and Materials Chemistry at Oxford, Director of the industrially funded SCG - Oxford Centre of Excellence, and MPLS Associate Head for Industrial Liaison and Innovation.
Dermot was born in Newry, Co. Down and studied at Balliol College, Oxford for his BSc and D. Phil under the direction of Professor M.L.H Green. He was a visiting research fellow at CR&D E.I. du Pont de Nemours in Delaware, and returned to Oxford with a permanent University position and Tutorial Fellowship at Balliol College, and later a University Professorship. In 2020 he became Senior Research Fellow at Balliol and Professor of Organometallic and Materials Chemistry. He has been honoured by the Institüt de France, Académie des Sciences, the Royal Society of Chemistry (Ludwig Mond Prize, Corday Morgan Medal, Sir Edward Frankland Prize) and by the Exxon European Chemical and Engineering Prize.
Dermot leads a large, multi-disciplinary research team working across the broad areas of catalysis, nanomaterials, polymers and the green economy, working towards finding solutions to global issues relating to energy, zero carbon and the circular economy. In 2019 he won the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Tilden Medal for outstanding research in the chemical sciences.
In 2012, following the establishment of a successful relationship with SCG Chemicals Co. Ltd, The SCG-Oxford Centre of Excellence for Chemistry (CoE) was founded, where he is Director. This is a unique collaboration between SCG and the University of Oxford with dedicated laboratories and committed funds of over £20 million to date and recognition via an Impact Award from the University of Oxford. In 2019 the SCG-Oxford Centre of Excellence for Chemistry (CoE) was awarded the Royal Society of Chemistry Academia-Industry Prize, and is currently growing with its remit widening in the University and funding new innovation.
The CoE is team with a wide range of research interests spanning the breadth of chemistry from energy utilisation and Carbon Net Zero, to the chemical Circular Economy and the future of plastics and polymers.
SCG funded researchers are automatically part of the diverse and friendly O’Hare Research Group of about thirty people based in contemporary laboratory space in Oxford’s central Science area.
Dr. Suracha Udomsak
Co-Director
Chief Innovation Officer of SCGC
Dr Suracha Udomsak is currently Chief Innovation Officer of SCG Chemicals PLC. (SCGC). His primary responsibility is to lead innovation and technology group to enhance competitive advantage and grow new business opportunities for SCGC. He is also specially assigned to steer sustainability development function which is important business principle of SCGC. He is awarded a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He joined SCG Chemicals in 1989 and since then has extensive experience in polymer industries, catalyst and licensing, and circular economy business.
SCG Chemicals PLC. is a subsidiary of Siam Cement Group (SCG) and is one of SCG’s 3 core businesses consisting of Chemicals, Packaging and Cement-Building Materials. SCG embarked upon the chemicals business in 1989. At present, SCG Chemicals manufactures and supplies a full range of petrochemical products ranging from upstream, intermediate, to downstream petrochemicals. SCG Chemicals PLC. is now one of the largest integrated petrochemical companies in Thailand and a key industry leader in the Asia-Pacific region.
Current CoE Research Groups
Former Members
