As a foundational and strategic industry supporting the development of modern society, the chemical industry not only ensures basic necessities such as clothing, food, shelter, and transportation but also acts as the economic engine driving emerging industries. Its contributions are ubiquitous, including new energy materials (e.g., crystalline silicon for photovoltaic industries, electrode materials and electrolytes for lithium batteries, and proton-exchange membranes for fuel cells), electronic chemicals and materials (e.g., photoresists, high-purity reagents, specialty gases, and liquid crystals for display panels), biomedicine (e.g., the design and synthesis of innovative drugs, advanced delivery systems, and the preparation of high-end medical materials), and aerospace materials (e.g., high-performance composite resins, specialty ceramics, high-temperature resistant materials, and novel propellants). A new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation is now surging forward, propelling the chemical industry into a period of profound change. Traditional industries are facing both challenges and opportunities as they transition toward high-end development, embracing green, low-carbon, and intelligent manufacturing. With the theme of “Paradigm Shifting in Chemical Engineering for Global Challenges,” the 12th World Congress of Chemical Engineering was successfully convened in Beijing in 2025. This global gathering of experts from the chemical industry and academics consolidated cutting-edge knowledge in the discipline and built consensus, while inspiring other industrial sectors to deeply explore pathways for future development.

With the support of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, it was our great honor to organize this special issue on frontiers for chemical engineering and to invite internationally renowned researchers to give their perspectives on challenges and future development in their respective fields. The articles in the special issue come from researchers working in Australia, China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Their topics cover the fundamentals and industrial application of molecular chemical engineering, artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered separation and catalysis, advanced membranes for air and water processes, CO₂ capture and utilization toward carbon neutrality, and electrochemistry for energy storage and green processes. These are hot topics, and we hope the articles discussing them will be helpful in stimulating innovative ideas in our discipline.

We are grateful to the contributors for their great efforts in consolidating their views; we are also thankful to the reviewers for their help in evaluating the manuscripts with valuable comments. Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the Engineering editorial team for their excellent work.