Covestro-Tongji Innovation Academy Sets Example for Industry-University Cooperation

Covestro's partnership with Tongji University in Shanghai is accelerating open innovation initiatives in China. Within the framework of the Covestro-Tongji Innovation Academy, dedicated to materials science in mobility, construction and robotics, multiple joint research projects have been launched to reduce battery pack weight, increase electrode capacity and enhance safety in the electric vehicle (EV) sector. Covestro CEO Dr. Markus Steilemann said at the annual academy meeting conducted via digital conference: "Over the past year, we have made very positive progress in our collaboration with Tongji University at the academy. Together, we have launched projects that will direct the sector and the entire economy towards greater sustainability and specifically promote the transition to a Circular Economy on a global scale," and added "We remain committed to opening innovation in China and will continue to work closely with our partners to advance all these initiatives." [caption id="attachment_101913" align="aligncenter"] Covestro-Tongji Innovation Academy is accelerating China's open innovation initiatives. Source: Covestro[/caption]

For example, the joint Academy is researching battery thermal management systems for EV vehicles and energy storage; this will be important for being more cost-effective in terms of reduced CO2 emissions. Among other projects are the development of new materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries and the investigation of 3D-printable structures that absorb crash energy to enhance the safety performance of EV batteries. In addition, since bionic robots will provide indispensable support to China's aging population, the Academy is also examining flexible sensor materials for robotic skin applications.

This year, a student competition themed on sustainable economy in China will be added to the Academy's calendar to encourage greater efforts on sustainability.

The competition will target the reuse of polyurethane foams from mattresses, with students receiving support from Covestro and Tongji University experts while being encouraged to unleash their creativity in business and technology studies to generate innovative ideas. The winning plan may be supported as a practical project at the Covestro-Tongji Innovation Academy in 2021. Prof. Dr. Wu Jiang, Deputy Director-General of Tongji University, said: "We are excited to see the strong progress our partnership with Covestro, a leading materials company, has made in emerging areas that will help support sustainability in the future. Our alliance is an excellent example of industry-academia collaboration. We are confident that the Academy will transform big ideas into real innovations and business models for widespread use in enterprises." Michael Schmidt, Dean of the Academy and Head of Innovation for Asia-Pacific at Covestro, said: "We see open innovation as the key to our success, involving change and collaboration across the value chain. I am pleased to see the Academy's solid progress and achievements in market-oriented innovation, digitalization and sustainability, which enable creativity to be transformed into promising business models," and added "In the future, we will continue to build a strong industry-academia ecosystem with complementary capabilities to further strengthen our business, our industry and our economy."