SolVin is launching its 2004 Award for PVC Innovation, whose winners will be distinguished at the K 2004 international plastics trade fair, next October in Duesseldorf, Germany.

The SolVin Award for PVC Innovation is open to processors, additive suppliers, processing machines producers, end-users, prescriptors, service providers, media related activities or academic institutions. Candidates’ innovations should:
• have a link with PVC
• contribute to the positive image of PVC
• bring improvement to existing products
• lead to an application on the European market
• be under development or on the market from January 1, 2002.

Submissions are welcome until 30 April 2004 and will be scrutinized by a jury of independent representatives of PVC-processors, producers, and academics and designers.

Three Winning applications will receive, respectively, one Golden Award of 50.000 EUR, one Silver Award of 25.000 EUR and one Bronze Award of 10.000 EUR. The Jury will also designate three special prize-winning projects which demonstrate the polyvalence of PVC and will be awarded EUR 5,000.

SolVin combines the competences of Solvay and BASF in the European vinyls sector. The synergies achieved in know-how and organization, the complementarities of product ranges as well as upstream integration have built up SolVin as a leader on the PVC and PVDC markets. The joint venture has operations in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Benelux countries and a total annual production capacity of 1.3 million tons of PVC, with 2200 employees. Solvay owns 75% of SolVin and BASF, the remaining 25%.

For further information please contact :

Philippe Burgaud ,
Solvay S.A. France
Tel: +33 01 40 75 800
Fax: +33 01 45 63 57 28
E-mail : philippe.burgaud@solvay.com