Qualifications:

• PhD, University of Cape Town, (1984)

Professional Affiliations:

• American Chemical Society
• Catalysis Society of South Africa
• South African Academy of Engineering

Research Affiliations:

• Catalysis Institute

Research Interests:

• Heterogeneous catalysis
• Hydrogen
• power-to-X
• CO2 utilization

Biography:

Jack Fletcher obtained his BSc(Eng)Chem and PhD degrees from the University of Cape Town in 1980 and 1984, respectively, the latter in acid catalyzed light olefin oligomerization for distillate fuels.  He has since acted in the roles of Programme Manager III -V Semiconductor Materials Growth and Device Fabrication at South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial research (CSIR), Director Research and Development – Catalysts for the Süd-Chemie Group of Companies (now Clariant AG), the Director of the Catalysis Institute at the University of Cape Town (1999 - 2023).  Currently he leads the multinational, multidisciplinary GreenQUEST Project for the production and use of green-LPG for clean cooking in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Professor Fletcher is a past Chairman of the Catalysis Society of South Africa (CATSA), Director of c*change, the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis (2004 – 2007), Lead Contract Director for HySA/Catalysis, the National Hydrogen Catalysis Competence Centre (2007 - 2023) and remains an elected Fellow of the South African Academy of Engineering (SAAE).  He is a founding director in three technology start-ups, viz. Cape Catalytix (Pty) Ltd, Hydrogen Energy Applications (Pty) Ltd and Xerion Ventures (Pty) Ltd