At the first of three science symposia hosted by BASF in honor of its 150th anniversary, to be held this week in Ludwigshafen, Germany, more than 600 top ranking scientists from academia and business will discuss “Smart Energy for a Sustainable Future.” Speakers will discuss the latest innovations in the storage and sustainable use of energy and explain approaches to energy-efficient chemical production. Other topics include viable future mobility, new materials for energy technologies and future energy supply. The symposium is part of BASF's worldwide Creator Space™ program.
“Innovative chemistry is a key enabler for the sustainable use of energy. This is apparent, for example, when it comes to obtaining affordable energy from renewable sources,” Dr. Andreas Kreimeyer, member of the board of executive directors of BASF and Research Executive Director, said in his opening address. “We are more than a mere supplier of new materials. Our experts integrate these materials into complex system solutions and ensure that these systems are tailor-made for different applications,” explained Kreimeyer. “Cooperations along the value chain are an important precondition for implementing creative solutions in the energy sector. I am looking forward to an open exchange on our theme of common interest which is also currently dominating the public debate: smart energy for a sustainable future.”
Nobel Prize winner professor Steven Chu of Stanford University will present a plenary lecture titled, “The energy, climate change and how to transition to a sustainable world,” drawing on his political experience as United States Secretary of Energy between 2009 and 2013. Based on his assessment of the risks of climate change, Professor Chu will discuss options to mitigate those risks through technical progress.
Additionally, professor Ekkes Brück of Delft University of Technology will present a leading-edge solution for sustainable energy use, specifically addressing magnetocaloric materials for energy-efficient heat pumps. The cooling system prototype that uses this innovative technology was unveiled and presented by BASF, Haier and Astronautics at the Consumer Electronics Show in January of this year.
In addition to the symposia in Germany this week, two further science symposia will be held in other parts of the world: one in Chicago on the sustainable food chain (June 23-24); the next in Shanghai on the future of urban living (November 9-10). All three events are part of BASF’s Creator Space tour, a long series of co-creation activities with the aim of jointly developing new solutions to global challenges. In addition to the Creator Space tour, those interested in taking part can engage through Creator Space online.
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Published Mar 10, 2015 4pm EDT / 1pm PDT / 8pm GMT / 9pm CET