Competition highlights Covestro's commitment to environment, innovation

Global polymers and plastics manufacturer Covestro reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable urban development by hosting the "Future Cities Competition: Shanghai 2019" from Aug 5 to 9. The competition was held together with Tongji University, one of the company's long-term partners in China.

The five-day competition took place at Covestro's Asia Pacific Innovation Center in Shanghai and required students from different colleges at Tongji University, including the College of Environmental Science and Engineering and the School of Mechanical Engineering, to form six teams. Each team was tasked with building a prototype of a future city by utilizing Covestro materials and applying the internet of things to future homes.

In the first two days, students took walking tours to different areas in Shanghai, including the city's urban planning exhibition hall and fresh food markets, to search for the major challenges in urbanization and which stakeholders are affected by those challenges. The arrangements inspired students on micro and macro levels, the company said.