About OMCOS: Organization and History

OMCOS is a single-session international scientific conference that brings together industrial and academic chemists from around the world to discuss recent advances in metal-mediated and catalyzed reactions. The conference focuses on catalyst/ligand design, mechanistic insights, new processes/automation, novel preparations and uses for organometallic reagents, as well as the metals in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, agrochemicals and materials.

Catalytic processes involving organometallics are often unsurpassed in elegance and efficiency and they contribute decisively to the goal of economically and ecologically sound processes of production. The exciting and powerful field of asymmetric catalysis receives particular attention in the OMCOS programs.

The conference is held every two years, and its venue rotates among the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

 

OMCOS Organization

• OMCOS is directed by an International Advisory Board (IAB) consisting of former OMCOS conference Chairs. The IAB can elect additional members from countries with strong OMCOS activity and participation (and to build a diverse and representative Board).
• Membership in the IAB is limited to ten OMCOS events following the Chair's conference.
• The IAB discusses candidatures and decides four years ahead of the event on a venue and the Chair(s) of the that symposium.
• The IAB elects from the ranks of past OMCOS conference Chairs a Secretary for two successive future OMCOS events. The Secretary provides outlines and date markers for the preparation of the conference and stays in close contact with the OMCOS Chair(s) on organizational matters. The Secretary solicits bids for future OMCOS conferences.

• Chairs retired from the IAB are listed in the section as Honorary Board

OMCOS Secretary for the period of 2025-2027:

• Chulbom Lee, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea, e-mail: chulbom@snu.ac.kr

Future-OMCOS conferences:

• OMCOS 24 (2029): Nice, France (Chair: Véronique Michelet)
• Bids are invited for the OMCOS 25 (2031) conference. Please contact the Secretary.

 

Bids for OMCOS 25 (2031) are invited.

Procedure:

• A brief (ca 3 pages) summary (with/without pictures) of an application addressing some of the points listed below should be sent to the secretary by May 1, 2027. This will be forwarded to the members of the Advisory Board in preparation of its meeting at OMCOS 23.
• At OMCOS 23 in Lausanne, applicants present a max. 8 min powerpoint presentation of their candidature (venue, potential for participation, housing, etc.). This then will be discussed and a decision is taken. Presentation by the applicant(s) chair is best although a member of the future committee can substitute.

Conditions for Chair(s):

• The OMCOS Chair(s) carries the full burden of organizational tasks and financial risks. The Chair(s) also takes charge of setting up local and national conference boards, and an international award committee for the OMCOS Award. The Chair(s) raises funds for this award.
• The OMCOS Chair(s) should be prominent scientist(s) in the field with a high international scientific reputation. He (she, they) should engage the local/regional/national community in both academia and industry to support the conference.
• Facilities are required to host an important meeting of 500-1200 participants in a single session conference. A split into parallel sessions is to be avoided except for contributed oral communications, if desired.
• Facilities are required to hold extensive poster session(s) (which can be complemented by an exhibition). Posters should be widely spaced and there should be ample time allowed for discussion. Poster prizes should be a feature and, if the sessions are organized in the evening, drinks and snacks should be provided.
• The Chair(s) puts together a scientific program that includes lectures in key areas of the field, and that includes prominent experienced practitioners as well as promising young researchers. A balance of geographical provenance of speakers is another important aspect. Plenary speakers should not have previously lectured in this capacity at one of the four former OMCOS meetings. The program should attract scientists from both academia and industry.
• Registration fees should not exceed those of similar large international meetings. Strongly reduced fees (max 50%) should be offered to young scientists (e.g. students and postdocs <33 years of age). Rates should include welcome receptions, coffee-breaks, lunches, and poster parties.
• OMCOS has a historic reputation not only for the excellence of the science being presented and discussed but also for the high level of hospitality offered to lecturers and participants. Conditions must be particularly attractive to young participants (accommodation, poster party, and poster prizes.
• Decisions on the program (speaker selection), fundraising, organization, and all other matters concerning an OMCOS conference including finances rest entirely in the hands of the Chair(s) and his/her committee(s) and are his/her sole responsibilities. Input from the Board members is encouraged to help identify young researchers in their country.
• After the conference, the OMCOS chair(s) sends a short illustrated report to the secretary (pdf file).
• Under the heading “OMCOS History and Organization” the conference website includes the list of former events (with reports), the members of the IAB and the Honorary Board, and information on OMCOS organization, future events, and conditions for Chair(s).

 

OMCOS History (click on an event to see the conference report)

EVENT	VENUE	CHAIR(S)
OMCOS 1, 1981	Fort Collins, USA	John Stille, Louis Hegedus
OMCOS 2, 1983	Dijon, FRA	Jean Tirouflet
OMCOS 3, 1985	Kyoto, JPN	Hitosi Nozaki
OMCOS 4, 1987	Vancouver, CAN	Gary Posner, Mike Fryzuk
OMCOS 5, 1989	Firenze, ITA	G. Casnati, Alfredo Ricci, Piero Salvadori
OMCOS 6, 1991	Utrecht, NLD	Gerard van Koten
OMCOS 7, 1993	Kobe, JPN	Shun-ichi Murahashi
OMCOS 8, 1995	Santa Barbara, USA	Bruce Lipshutz
OMCOS 9, 1997	Göttingen, DEU	Armin de Meijere, Reinhart Hoffmann
OMCOS 10, 1999	Versailles, FRA	Jean Pierre Genet, Pierre Dixneuf
OMCOS 11, 2001	Taipei, TWN	Tien-Yau Luh
OMCOS 12, 2003	Toronto, CAN	Mark Lautens
OMCOS 13, 2005	Geneva, CHE	Peter Kündig, Alex Alexakis
OMCOS 14, 2007	Nara, JPN	Koichiro Oshima
OMCOS 15, 2009	Glasgow, GBR	Pavel Kočovský
OMCOS 16, 2011	Shanghai, CHN	Shengming Ma, Kuiling Ding
OMCOS 17, 2013	Fort Collins, USA	Tom Rovis
OMCOS 18, 2015	Sitges, ESP	Antonio Echavarren
OMCOS 19, 2017	Jeju, KOR	Sukbok Chang, Chulbom Lee
OMCOS 20, 2019	Heidelberg, DEU	Stephen Hashmi
OMCOS 21, 2023	Vancouver, CAN	Jennifer Love, Laurel Schafer, David Leitch
OMCOS 22, 2025	Kyoto, JPN	Michinori Suginome, Hideki Yorimitsu

 

Members of the OMCOS International Advisory Board

• Sukbok Chang, Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), Daejeon
• Kuiling Ding, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC)
• Antonio M. Echavarren, Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ), Tarragona
• Stephen Hashmi, University of Heidelberg
• Pavel Kočovský, Charles University, Prague
• Jennifer Love, University of Calgary
• Chulbom Lee, Seoul National University
• Shengming Ma, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC)
• Tomislav Rovis, Columbia University
• Laurel L. Schafer, University of British Columbia
• Michinori Suginome, Kyoto University 
• Nicolai Cramer, EPFL

 

Honorary Board

• Alex Alexakis, Geneva
• Pierre H. Dixneuf, Rennes
• Jean-Pierre Genet, Paris
• Reinhard Hoffmann, Marburg
• Mark Lautens, Toronto
• Bruce Lipshutz, Santa Barbara
• Tien-Yau Luh, Taipei
• Armin de Meijere, Göttingen
• Shun-Ichi Murahashi, Osaka
• Koichiro Oshima, Kyoto
• Gerard van Koten, Utrecht
• Peter Kündig, Geneva