RELEASED ON 18/02/13 (DD/MM/YY)

The international "Science Award Electrochemistry" from BASF and Volkswagen will be awarded for the second time this year. Starting now leading researchers from all over the world can apply on the website www.science-award.com. This site also provides the requirements for participation, the procedure, and the selection process. Applications can be submitted until 15 Jun 2013. The entries will be judged by a jury of experts from BASF, Volkswagen, and representatives from the world of science. The award ceremony will be held on 23 Oct 2013, in Ludwigshafen. The international "Science Award Electrochemistry" promotes outstanding scientific and engineering achievements and provides impetus for the development of high-performance energy stores. The scientific award is presented annually and aimed at scientists in the global academic research community. It is endowed with prize money of EUR 50,000.

The first international "Science Award Electrochemistry" from BASF and Volkswagen was awarded to Dr Naoaki Yabuuchi, Tokyo University of Science , Institute for Science and Technology, Japan in Oct 2012. The jury selected Yabuuchi for the outstanding results of his research on different battery technologies. Yabuuchi showed among other things how new battery materials can improve the efficiency of lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries - a fundamentally new battery concept, which is currently a focus of research. The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg is one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. In 2011, the Group increased the number of vehicles delivered to customers to 8.265 million (2010: 7.203 million), corresponding to a 12.3% share of the world passenger car market. The Group is made up of twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, SKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania, and MAN. Each brand has its own character and operates as an independent entity on the market. The product spectrum extends from low-consumption small cars to luxury class vehicles. In the commercial vehicle sector, the product offering ranges from pick-ups to buses and heavy trucks. The Group operates 99 production plants in 18 European countries and a further nine countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa. In 2011 (excluding Ducati and Porsche), each working day, 501,956 employees worldwide produce some 34,500 vehicles, are involved in vehicle-related services or work in the other fields of business. The Volkswagen Group sells its vehicles in 153 countries. It is the goal of the Group to offer attractive, safe and environmentally sound vehicles which are competitive on an increasingly tough market and which set world standards in their respective classes. BASF is developing innovative materials and components such as cathode materials and electrolytes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. Simultaneously, the company is researching future battery concepts such as lithium sulfur or lithium air. These will allow significantly higher energy densities and have the potential to further reduce battery weight and costs. Other BASF products such as plastics for lightweight construction and insulating materials as well as infrared reflective coatings for improved heat management will also be major elements in promoting resource-efficient electromobility.

SOURCE BASF Official Press Release