ICIS Launches Chemical Industry Innovation Awards for 2012

LONDON, April 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Welcomes Bayer MaterialScience as New Sponsor

ICIS (http://www.icis.com ), the trusted information provider for the global chemical and energy industries, today calls for entries for its ninth annual ICIS Innovation Awards (http://www.icis.com/awards ), designed to recognise outstanding technological and business innovation in the chemical industry.

ICIS is pleased to welcome global polymer producer Bayer MaterialScience (http://www.materialscience.bayer.com/) as sponsor of the Best Innovation for Sustainability category this year.

Dow Corning (http://www.dowcorning.com ) is the overall lead sponsor for the Awards, as it has been from their inception in 2004, while CRA (http://www.crai.com/chemicals ) returns as the sponsor of the Best Product Innovation category, and U.S Chemicals (http://www.uschemicals.com) is again sponsor of the Innovation with Best Environmental Benefit category.

The awards enable companies to celebrate their success in the vital activity of innovation and the increasingly important areas of sustainability and environmental performance.  

There are five categories to enter:

• Best Product Innovation - sponsored by CRA
• Best Innovation by a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME)
• Best Business Innovation
• Best Innovation for Sustainability - sponsored by Bayer MaterialScience
• Innovation with the Best Environmental Benefit - sponsored by U.S. Chemicals

John Baker, global editor at ICIS and organiser of the Awards, notes that:  "The Innovation Awards continue to grow and gain industry support. We have added a new sponsor this year and look forward to being able to highlight the very best of innovation in the industry later in the year. There is tremendous effort and investment going into innovation in the chemical sector today, as companies seek answers to many of society's global problems and seek to ensure their long-term sustainability."

The Awards are open to entry from today, with a deadline for entries of 2 July 2012. The winners will be announced on 22 October.

For more information or to enter the awards, visit http://www.icis.com/awards or call John Baker on +44 20 8652 3153.

Notes to Editors:

ICIS

ICIS, the trusted information provider for the chemical and energy industries, is part of Reed Business Information (RBI), a division of Reed Business and a member of Reed Elsevier plc (525), (UK:REL) (US:RUK) (NL:45443), the world's leading publisher and information provider. For more information on ICIS visit http://www.icis.com

RBI publishes over 100 market leading publications, directories and online services, and organises many industry conferences and awards. For a full listing visit http://www.reedbusiness.co.uk

About Dow Corning Corporation

Dow Corning provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, Dow Corning offers more than 7,000 products and services via the company's Dow Corning® and XIAMETER® (http://www.xiameter.com) brands. More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the United States. Dow Corning is also the majority shareholder in the Hemlock Semiconductor Group (http://www.hscpoly.com) joint ventures, a leading provider of polycrystalline silicon and other silicon-based products used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices and solar cells and modules.

Web site: http://www.dowcorning.com

About CRA

CRA is a global consulting firm specializing in management, litigation, regulatory, and financial consulting. CRA guides corporations through critical business strategy and performance-related issues and advises clients on economic and financial matters pertaining to litigation and regulatory proceedings. Since 1965, clients have engaged CRA for its unique combination of functional expertise and industry knowledge, and for its objective solutions to complex problems. Headquartered in Boston, CRA has offices throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Detailed information about CRA is available at http://www.crai.com.

Our Global Chemicals Strategy Practice applies keen insight and rich experience across the industry, from upstream petrochemicals and polymers to downstream specialty chemicals and materials. Our functional offerings are designed to support our clients in achieving profitable growth covering areas such as portfolio and business strategy, technology and innovation management, M&A, performance improvement, and organization restructuring.

Learn more about how we are helping companies at http://www.crai.com/chemicals.

About U.S. Chemicals LLC

U.S. Chemicals, LLC, is a 50-year-old worldwide specialty chemical distributor serving the textiles, paint, flame retardants, plastic, cosmetic, personal care, food and pharmaceutical industries. A woman-owned business based in Darien, Connecticut, US, U.S. Chemicals actively supports environmentally responsible manufacturers and distributors of chemical products and services.

Web site: http://www.uschemicals.com

About Bayer MaterialScience

With 2010 sales of €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 14,700 people around the globe. Bayer MaterialScience is a Bayer Group company. Find more information at http://www.materialscience.bayer.com

For further information, please contact:

John Baker
ICIS
Tel: +44-20-8652-3153
Email: john.baker@icis.com
Web site: http://www.icis.com

Jarrod Erpelding
Dow Corning
Tel: +1-989-496-1582
Email: jarrod.erpelding@dowcorning.com
Web site: http://www.dowcorning.com

Dr. Neil Checker
CRA
Tel: +44-20-7959-1582
Email: nchecker@crai.com
Web site: http://www.crai.com/chemicals

Carol Piccaro
U.S. Chemicals LLC
Tel: +1-203-655-8878
Email: cpiccaro@uschemicals.com
Web site: http://www.uschemicals.com

Rachel Owens
Bayer MaterialScience
Tel: +44-1635-563410
Email: rachel.owen@bayer.com
Web site: http://www.bayermaterialscience.com