The international “Science Award for Electrochemistry” of BASF and Volkswagen is set to be awarded for the fourth time. Outstanding scientists from all over the world are now able to submit applications online at www.science-award.com. The website also explains the conditions and the selection process. The closing date for entries is July 24, 2015. The entries submitted will be judged by a jury made up of experts from BASF and Volkswagen and representatives from academia. The awards ceremony will take place on October 28, 2015, in Tokyo, Japan.

The international “Science Award for Electrochemistry” supports outstanding work in natural and engineering science and aims to provide a stimulus for the development of high-capacity energy storage systems. The Science Award has been offered annually since 2012 and is aimed at scientists in the global academic research community. The total prize money is €100,000, with the first rank worth €50,000.

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, we combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

About Volkswagen
The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg is one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. In 2014, the Group increased the number of vehicles delivered to customers to 10.137 million (2013: 9.731 million). The share of the world passenger car market amounts to 12.9 percent.

Group sales revenue in 2014 totalled € 202 billion (2013: €197 billion), while profit after tax amounted to €11.1 billion (2013: €9.1 billion). The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, 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 ranges from motorcycles to low-consumption small cars and luxury vehicles. In the commercial vehicle sector, the products include ranges from pick-ups, buses and heavy trucks.

The Volkswagen Group is also active in other fields of business, manufacturing large-bore diesel engines for marine and stationary applications (turnkey power plants), turbochargers, turbomachinery (steam and gas turbines), compressors and chemical reactors. It also produces vehicle transmissions, special gear units for wind turbines, slide bearings and couplings as well as testing systems for the mobility sector. In addition, the Volkswagen Group offers a wide range of financial services, including dealer and customer financing, leasing, banking and insurance activities, and fleet management.

The Group operates 119 (May 26, 2015) production plants in 20 European countries and a further 11 countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa. Every weekday, 592,586 employees worldwide produce nearly 41,000 vehicles, and work in vehicle-related services or other fields of business. The Volkswagen Group sells its vehicles in 153 countries. The Group’s goal is to offer attractive, safe and environmentally sound vehicles which can compete in an increasingly tough market and set world standards in their respective class.