21st international PhD Seminar of Chromatographic Separation Science | June 22 – 25, 2026
The 21st SoCSS is organized by the Advanced Separations Processes Group and Erlangen Center for Interface Research and Catalysis from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and takes place at Forschungscampus Waischenfeld from June 22 – 25, 2026.
SoCSS is a seminar dedicated to the presentation and discussion of research work in the field of chromatography and related techniques. Participants have the opportunity to present their work and expand their professional networks. The event is expected to attract young researchers from the relevant field worldwide. The exchange with like-minded individuals and the established network will be beneficial for their future development as emerging experts.
The presentations cover a wide range of topics related to innovative research, new technologies, and development areas in the following fields:
- Process development, intensification, and scale-up
- High-throughput processes (HTP) and solutions
- Continuous processing
- Modeling, simulation, and optimization of chromatography
- Model-based process design and control
- Machine learning
- Liquid-liquid chromatography (LLC)
- 3D-printed stationary phases
- Novel separation/interaction techniques
- Method development
- Process Analytical Technology (PAT)
- Analytics
- Process development
- Digitalization and modeling
SoCCS in Waischenfeld – important information
This year’s SoCCS will take place at Forschungscampus Waischenfeld, located in the beautiful Franconian Switzerland. This region is famously known for its options in outdoor sports. Especially climbing, hiking, kayaking, and mountainbiking are performed there by tourists and locals. Since this area is somewhat remote, your registration includes accommodation, meals and beverages, and transportation to the venue. Transportation will be provided by bus from Erlangen main station to Waischenfeld and back. The bus to Waischenfeld will depart Monday afternoon, June 22, 2026. The return bus from Waischenfeld to Erlangen will depart after lunch on Thursday, June 25, 2026. The journey takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you prefer to drive yourself, free parking is available at the venue. To help us plan more effectively, please inform us of any changes to your transportation arrangements by June 12, 2026 at the latest.
Adress: Waischenfeld Forschungscampus: Fraunhofer-Platz 1, 91344 Waischenfeld
Registration and abstract submission from March 2 – April 15, 2026
Information on registration and abstract submission will follow in the near future.
We are looking forward to meeting you in Waischenfeld!
Please contact us if you have any questions: contact-socss2026@fau.de
Jan-Christoph Domagala, Céline Kohl, Pia Weiner & Johannes Wieczorek
Contact us for sponsoring opportunities:
History of SoCSS
The seminar, which was established in 2001 by Prof. Henner Schmidt-Traub, Prof. Klaus Unger, and Dr. Reinhard Ditz, originally had the title “PhD Seminar Preparative Chromatography.” Over time, thanks to the dedicated efforts of Prof. Massimo Morbidelli and Prof. Andreas Seidel-Morgenstern, it evolved and was renamed the “International PhD Seminar on Chromatographic Separation Science” (SoCSS). Today, the seminar takes place annually at various locations across Europe.
| Year | Location | Organizer |
| 2001 | Rothenbuch, Germany | Universität Dortmund |
| 2003 | Freyburg/U., Germany | MPI Magdeburg |
| 2005 | Prüm, Germany | Forschungszentrum Jülich |
| 2007 | Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany | Hochschule Ansbach |
| 2009 | Wetter, Germany | Universität Dortmund |
| 2010 | Muggendorf, Germany | FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg |
| 2011 | Wernigerode, Germany | MPI Magdeburg |
| 2012 | Freudenstadt-Lauterbach, Germany | KIT |
| 2013 | Weggis, Switzerland | ETH Zürich |
| 2014 | Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands | TU Delft |
| 2015 | Sorpesee, Germany | Universität Dortmund |
| 2016 | Schleiden, Germany | Forschungszentrum Jülich |
| 2017 | Annweiler am Trifels, Germany | KIT |
| 2018 | Burghausen, Germany | TU München |
| 2019 | Quedlinburg, Germany | MPI Magdeburg |
| 2020 | Wien, Austria | Cancelled due to the pandemic |
| 2021 | Wien, Austria | BOKU |
| 2022 | Karlsruhe, Germany | KIT |
| 2023 | Düren, Germany | RWTH Aachen Universität und Forschungszentrum Jülich |
| 2024 | Lund, Sweden | LTH Faculty of Engineering |
| 2025 | Garching, Germany | TU München |