Increasing complexity and growing demands for efficiency and safety pose major challenges for the process industry [1,2]. Experience-based or solely empirical design and optimization approaches often reach their limits and entail an elevated business risk. The consequences of this can include, for example, costly modifications when guaranteed performance values are not achieved, undesirable delivery delays, or insufficient customer satisfaction.

At this point, the use of scientific methods and tools offers substantial added value: Numerical simulation methods such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the finite element method (FEM), or other theoretically sound computational models enable reliable risk minimization while simultaneously allowing for targeted optimization of process-related operations. In short, scientific theory provides a direct and tangible contribution to industrial practice.

The presentation will first address the key challenges in the process industry. Building on this, several case studies are introduced in which tailored solution strategies were developed through collaboration between industry and research institutions or specialized scientific simulation service providers. These include, for example, the FEM-based assessment of the earthquake safety of a disc filter in a seismically active zone, the CFD-based investigation of compressed-air blowback during cake removal, and the prediction of washing efficiency within the multi-stage manufacturing process of terephthalic acid. Finally, the developed approaches are critically discussed and their successful transfer into industrial practice is shown (e.g., by geometric adaptations, the redesign of individual components, and the development of product-specific filter equipment).