Clariant sponsors Young Scientist Prize at 16th International Congress on Catalysis

Shanghai, June 30, 2016 – Clariant, a world-leader in specialty chemicals, will be present at the 16th International Congress on Catalysis (ICC) which is due to take place at the China National Convention Center in Beijing from 3 - 8 July, 2016. One of the most prestigious scientific conferences of its kind, the ICC comes to China for the first time. The congress is held every four years and it attracts hundreds of researchers from all over the world.

In addition to presenting at the congress and showcasing solutions at the concurrent exhibition, Clariant will help to support talented young researchers by sponsoring the Young Scientist Prize, which will be presented during the six-day congress in Beijing.

Developing talent and supporting industry innovation is central to Clariant’s innovation strategy. At the ICC, Clariant will showcase its latest innovations in catalysis technology, and support the research community by sponsoring the Young Scientist Prize.

Nurturing talents in catalysis research
Marvin Estenfelder, Head of R&D at Clariant’s Business Unit Catalysts, stated: “Developing the people and culture necessary to drive innovation is one of the pillars supporting our innovation strategy at Clariant. We hope our sponsorship of the Young Scientist Prize at the ICC will benefit young, talented scientists to create value for the entire industry.”

Clariant proactively collaborates with a large number of international institutions to realize cross-business innovation and to scout for new developments in catalyst research. For example, in Germany, Clariant has cooperated with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) to form the Munich catalysis research alliance (MuniCat).

MuniCat follows an "industry on campus" approach in which TUM scientists and Clariant researchers work together to resolve questions of fundamental and applied research in chemical catalysis. Since its inception in 2010, more than 50 PhD, master’s and bachelor’s students have worked on ten successful MuniCat research projects.

The Young Scientist Prize that Clariant is sponsoring this time at ICC will be awarded by the International Association of Catalysis Societies (IACS). To qualify for nomination, a person must present at the ICC, either orally or via a poster, and they must be below 35 years of age. A total of 40 winners will be announced during the six-day ICC in July.

Driving performance through technological innovation
At the ICC, Clariant’s Head of Catalyst R&D China, Jason Zhao will present the latest research on Sour-Gas-Shift catalysts. The project has been developed jointly between Clariant’s Catalyst R&D team in China and the Clariant team located in Louisville, USA. The presentation will focus on the examination of the role played by CoMo-based catalysts, as well as the effects that temperature has on relative activity.

Clariant’s team of scientists will also be present at the exhibition running concurrently with the 16th International Congress on Catalysis: At booth no. 15 they will be available to explain full details of the featured catalysis technologies and solutions.