Covestro supports UK student plastics design competition to find future innovators

Covestro has announced that it will again lend its support to the UK’s longest established student plastics design competition in 2016.

The Design Innovation in Plastics (DIP) competition has been providing opportunities for bright young designers and scientists of the future to make a name for themselves since it was established in 1985.  

Headline sponsored by Covestro, with additional support from other market leaders in the fields of design and innovation, it is one of the most sought-after titles for students seeking careers in this forward-looking industry.

“Like the polymers industry as a whole, Covestro is increasingly seeking new products and solutions which are sustainable and which address global challenges facing us in the 21st century.  We cannot do that without input from bright and enquiring minds,” commented Covestro's Head of Sustainability, Richard Northcote.   

“Design Innovation in Plastics helps to find the potential innovators of the future, which is why we are very happy to be supporting the event again in 2016 - and very much look forward to seeing what this year's entrants come up with."

DIP is organised by the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (IOM3) and the Worshipful Company of Horners, who are well into preparations for the 2016 event.  This year, students have been asked to design a product primarily in plastics for the wellbeing of pets. More than 250 entries from universities all around the UK and Ireland have registered to take part, and have until February 19 to formally submit their entries. 

DIP Chairman, Martin Sixsmith, said: "It's always very exciting to see registrations coming in, particularly from universities who have not entered the competition before - indeed this year we have eight new names on the list.  We'd like to remind all the applicants to submit their entries before expiry of the February 19 deadline, and on our part we are very much looking forward to judging them."

This year's competition winner will receive a cash prize as well as a week- long visit to Covestro's headquarters in Germany, where they will have the chance to see polymers and high performance plastics being developed into products of the future.  Additionally, the winner will enjoy a placement in London at PriestmanGoode, the leading global design and brand experience agency specialising in aviation, transport and product design.

Runners-up and highly commended will receive cash prizes and either training courses or placements with other award sponsors.

Last year's winner was Alexander Bordino, a BSc product design student from Nottingham Trent University,  who redesigned the internal gear pump mechanism inside whipped-style ice cream machines. You can read BP&R’s full article about last year’s winning design here.