AkzoNobel Launches 'Tomorrow's Answers Today' Poster Competition for U.S. Students

Competition invites post-graduate students to explore the role that chemistry, chemical engineering and materials sciences play in game changing innovations. Call for entries now through February 28, 2013

CHICAGO, Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AkzoNobel, the largest global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals, today announced the U.S. launch of its Tomorrow's Answers Today poster competition. 

The competition is open to students who are pursuing graduate (masters, Ph.D., or post-doctoral) research in the chemical sciences or technologies, including chemistry, chemical engineering and material science at an educational institution in the U.S.

"At AkzoNobel, we seek sustainable solutions by doing great science – it is an essential element in delivering value for our customers and point of pride for our global organization," stated Graeme Armstrong, Executive Committee Member for Research, Development and Innovation for AkzoNobel. The Tomorrow's Answers Today poster competition provides us a valuable opportunity to partner with a new generation of scientists and provide them a platform for sharing bold ideas that will improve the world."

The Tomorrow's Answers Today poster competition aims to highlight the best ideas which show the greatest insight into future trends in our society and provide enterprising and realistic responses to the following questions:

• What are going to be the biggest trends and challenges for the development of our society over the next 10 years in which chemistry will have a decisive role to play?
• What new scientific and technological developments will society need to make in the areas of the chemical sciences to realize the trends?
• What are going to be the most important new applications for novel products and process developments which will improve the lives of citizens and what sciences will underpin them?

To enter or learn more about the competition, students are encouraged to visit http://www.akzonobel.com/innovation/poster_competition/.   

Following the submission process, a panel of AkzoNobel scientists and engineers will choose five finalists to be invited to attend a special event at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago on June 6, 2013, where their posters will be showcased to an audience of leading academics, business executives and key media. 

After the event in Chicago, one finalist will be selected and awarded a $1,000 cash prize as well as the opportunity to visit AkzoNobel research facilities located in the U.S.

For additional details including official rules, prizes and key dates, as well as background on previous competitions' winners, please visit: http://www.akzonobel.com/innovation/poster_competition/ 

As a global leader in decorative and industrial coatings and a leading specialty chemicals company, AkzoNobel is constantly exploring areas of innovation in which chemical technology will play an important role in meeting the needs of the world. The aim of the competition is to encourage young researchers to explore the role that chemistry, chemical engineering and materials science will play in driving sustainable innovations that will meet the needs of society, the environment and consumers in the future.

AkzoNobel first held the regional competition in China in 2010 with subsequent competitions held in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. To reflect the increasingly global nature of the company, the Tomorrow's Answers Today poster competition is being further extended to Sweden and the U.S. in 2013.

AkzoNobel
AkzoNobel is the largest global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals. We supply industries and consumers worldwide with innovative products and are passionate about developing sustainable answers for our customers. Our portfolio includes well known brands such as Glidden, Dulux, Sikkens, International and Eka. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we are a Global Fortune 500 company and are consistently ranked as one of the leaders in the area of sustainability. With operations in more than 80 countries, our 55,000 people around the world are committed to excellence and delivering Tomorrow's Answers Today™.

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SOURCE AkzoNobel