LANXESS holds Awarding Ceremony of 8th “Clean Water for Better Life” University Students Research Competition

Shanghai, December 8, 2022 – On December 6, German specialty chemical company LANXESS held the Awarding Ceremony of its “Clean Water for Better Life” University Students Research Competition (Water Competition) for the eight year in a row. Experts and scholars and representatives of participating student teams attended the event both online and offline.

The expert evaluation committee selected the winning teams by evaluating the projects in terms of practicality, innovativeness, social value, completion situation, implementation quality and WeChat voting results. The Yuhang Li team of Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture won the first prize; the Huizhi Liang team of Central South University and the Jianping Zhu team of Wuhan University won the second prize; the Ziyue Cheng team of Shandong University, the Minhao Wang team of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and the Shuning Wang team of Qingdao University of Technology won the third prize.

Nowadays, sustainable development is the broadest consensus reached by the whole world and LANXESS has been paying special attention to water shortage. In tapping into university resources, the company has been seeking and collecting social research projects on water pollution prevention and control from university students. In 2015, when the Action Plan for Prevention and Treatment of Water Pollution (Water Ten Plan for short) was issued by the State Council, LANXESS joined hands with China Sustainability Tribune (formerly China WTO Tribune) to launch the Water Competition based on its own liquid purification technology business.

“LANXESS pays special attention to clean water shortages, we carried out water related projects around the world that are dedicated to helping companies and communities use water resources as efficiently as possible. The experience we gained from these projects will help further improve global water management and drive towards sustainable development.” Ming Cheng Chien, President LANXESS Asia-Pacific Region, said in his speech.

Since its launch in 2015, the Water Competition has been successfully held for eight times. Over these years, the number of participating universities has soared from 5 to 73, and the number of participating projects has also been on the rise, with a total of over 300 project teams taking part in the event. The projects have been covering even wider scope. As for the university student teams participating in the event, the topics they are concerned about have been even more extensive, and their thoughts and creativity have also been increasingly innovative. This reflects not only the attention of university students to China’s water conservation, but also the responsibility the younger generation shoulders in the face of social problems.

“The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030) are deeply interconnected and are an ambitious plan. Achieving these goals requires innovative technologies, thoughts and talents. Youth are the backbone of future sustainable development and the source of innovative development. We hope that you will continue to give play to your youthfulness, intelligence and wisdom, actively participate in the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals and contribute your wisdom and power,” Zhihong Yu, President and Editor-in-chief of China Sustainability Tribune, said.

Since the kickoff of the competition this year, under the guidance of university teachers and LANXESS volunteers, the 22 teams carried out practical projects either under their own propositions or around four designated propositions including 1. Removal of PFAS pollutants (perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl compounds) in the environment; 2. Selective adsorption of lithium ions in solution; 3. Recycling of battery metals (nickel, cobalt, etc.) in wastewater solution; 4. Removal of arsenic and other heavy metals in drinking water.

The teams delved into questions of environmental and water conservation from various perspectives and across disciplines and regions. Within three months, they completed their respective projects and put forward innovative solutions. At the Evaluation Meeting held this September, the teams fully demonstrated their innovative potential and enthusiasm for solving social problems, and presented various innovative solutions for water governance. The juries also commented on the operability, significance and existing problems of each project.

In order to maximize the public awareness of water conservation and utilization, LANXESS also innovated in communication forms by using new media such as WeChat to display and disseminate the project results. LANXESS launched a public vote on the project results in WeChat together with China Sustainability Tribune. The competition this year received more than 6,100 votes, which effectively raised the public attention to water conservation.

The Water Competition is not only a good teacher and friend of young students, but also a source of sustainable development for LANXESS. It has brought new perspectives to the company’s business development, resulting in numerous solutions with good practical significance for water conservation. LANXESS’ management and employees are all actively involved in the event, and members of the winning teams this year will also obtain internship opportunities at LANXESS, where our employees will continue to mentor these young students and help them improve their professional knowledge and learn more about more applicable practices.

Thanks to the Water Competition, numerous young students are able to work with LANXESS to protect the environment, and dedicate themselves to the water conservation and governance industry to promote the protection of water resources and environment in China. “It would have been difficult for us to fully complete our project without the opportunity and platform, funds and professional guidance provided by LANXESS. For us, the end of this competition is a new beginning. We will continue to better protect water resources with our knowledge and creativity and make modest contributions to sustainable development,” Yuhang Li, the first prize winner, said.

About LANXESS

LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 6.1 billion in 2021. The company currently has about 13,200 employees in 33 countries. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives and consumer protection products. LANXESS is listed in the leading sustainability indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World and Europe) and FTSE4Good.

LANXESS China

On January 31, 2005, the company was initially listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and LANXESS Chemical (China) Co., Ltd. officially started operations. LANXESS now has 13 subsidiaries, 6 R&D centers and 7 production sites with around 1,200 employees in Greater China. LANXESS works closely with its local partners to develop market-oriented solutions that meet local market needs.

Forward-Looking Statements

This company release contains certain forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions, expectations and views of the company or cited from third party sources. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development or performance of LANXESS AG to differ materially from the estimations expressed or implied herein. LANXESS AG does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors, nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. No representation or warranty (expressed or implied) is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, targets and opinions, contained herein, and no liability whatsoever is accepted as to any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein, and accordingly, no representative of LANXESS AG or any of its affiliated companies or any of such person's officers, directors or employees accept any liability whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of this document.

Information for editors:

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