Roadshows were held at Northumbria University in Newcastle, and at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM³) headquarters in London.  As a key sponsor of DIP, Bayer MaterialScience hosts the annual events to introduce undergraduates to the competition, as well as the relevance of plastics, and the work done by Bayer MaterialScience in this field.  

Design tutor Robin Jones, of London South Bank University, attended the DIP roadshow at the IOM³ with his second and third year students.  He said: “The Design Innovation in Plastics roadshow was very worthwhile, the students were enthused by the presentations and we are very appreciative of the societies and industries involved in the competition.
“We have incorporated Design Innovation in Plastics into our coursework. We view it as an excellent motivator for our students as they get the opportunity to work alongside industry experts and have them evaluate their designs.”

Seamus Gillan, for Bayer MaterialScience, said: “We are really pleased with the levels of interest that the two roadshows have received, as well as the large range of design ideas being shared.
“As one of the world’s largest producers of polymers and high performance plastics it is incredibly important that Bayer supports competitions like Design Innovation in Plastics. I now look forward to seeing a number of these ideas becoming a reality in the next round of the competition.”

Design Innovation in Plastics was established in 1985 as a student design award and is now owned by the IOM³ and The Worshipful Company of Horners, with the continued support of Bayer MaterialScience as the principal industry sponsor.   Going into its 27th year, Design Innovation in Plastics is the longest running student plastics design award in Europe with the winning student receiving a £1,000 cash prize and a placement at Bayer MaterialScience in Leverkusen, Germany.

Nearly 300 students from universities across the UK and Ireland have now registered for DIP 2012.  The brief for the 2012 competition is ‘Universal Design: Designing for the rest of us’.  The aim is to have students design a product to help those with physical or cognitive impairments but which is also appealing to the mass market.

More information about Design Innovation in Plastics can be found by visiting the competition website http://designinnovationplastics.org/. DIP also has an active YouTube account and can be followed on Twitter @designinplastic.

ENDS

Sylvia Katz, DIP Awards co-ordinator, Tel. 020 7503 5949

Email:  sylviakatz@designinnovationplastics.org.uk

Andrea Postles, Tel. 01635 563 031

E-Mail: andrea.postles@bayer.com

Craig Mowat, Tel. 01635 563 523

E-Mail: craig.mowat@bayer.com

About Bayer MaterialScience:

With 2010 sales of EUR 10.2 billion, Bayer MaterialScience is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and the sports and leisure industries. At the end of 2010, Bayer MaterialScience had 30 production sites and employed approximately 14,400 people around the globe. Bayer MaterialScience is a Bayer Group company.

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. The company’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time Bayer creates value through innovation, growth and high earning power. The Group is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its role as a socially and ethically responsible corporate citizen. Economy, ecology and social responsibility are corporate policy objectives of equal rank.

In fiscal 2010, Bayer in the UK and Ireland, employed more than 1,200 people and had sales of £770m. Bayer’s offices are in Newbury (head office), Cambridge, Dublin, Uxbridge, Sheffield and Norwich. For more information, go to www.bayer.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/BayerUkIreland

 Globally, in fiscal 2010, Bayer employed more than 110,000 people and had sales of €35.1 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to €1.6 billion, R&D expenses to €3.1 billion. For more information, go to www.bayer.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.