ICIS Launches This Year's Search for Best Chemical Industry Innovations

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ICIS is pleased to confirm Elsevier's R&D Solutions (http://www.elsevier.com/rd-solutions ), the information analytics company specialising in science and health, as the lead sponsor for the Awards for the second year running.

Distribution company U.S. Chemicals (http://www.uschemicals.com), a Maroon Group company, continues as a category sponsor, supporting the Innovation with Best Benefit for Environment and Sustainability category. ExxonMobil Chemical (http://www.exxonmobilchemical.com) also stays on board, sponsoring the category for Best Innovation by a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise.

John Baker, ICIS Innovation Awards manager at ICIS, comments: "We are delighted to have the continued support of all three sponsors, a sign that the awards continue to be successful in their goal of highlighting the importance of innovation in the chemical industry.

"The awards continue to grow and gain industry support and last year attracted a record level of entries. We once again look forward to highlighting the very best of innovation in the chemical industry - by both companies and individuals."

Christina Valimaki, senior director, chemical segment marketing, at Elsevier's R&D Solutions, and also a member of the ICIS Innovation Awards judging panel, adds: "The demands on those working in chemical R&D and manufacturing to create and commercialise solutions that solve business challenges and support the industry's customers, society at large and the environment, are vast.

"Elsevier's R&D Solutions is excited to partner with the ICIS Innovation Awards again this year to honour the scientists and researchers who are at the heart of some of the industry's greatest advances. We look forward to putting a spotlight on the individual people behind these groundbreaking innovations via the Alpha Innovator of the Year Award, now in its second year."

Celebrating success 

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

There are four categories for companies to enter:

• Best Product Innovation
• Best Process Innovation
• Best Innovation by a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) - sponsored by ExxonMobil Chemical
• Innovation with Best Benefit for Environment and Sustainability - sponsored by U.S. Chemicals

The two categories for individuals -- the Alpha Innovator of the Year Award - launched last year, will honour individual industrial researchers for their outstanding contributions in two areas:

• New Product Development/Process Optimisation
• Environment and Sustainability

The ICIS Innovation Awards and the Alpha Innovator of the Year Award are open to entry from today, with a deadline for entries of 30 June 2017. The winners will be announced in October 2017.

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:

About ICIS

ICIS is an independent price reporting agency focusing on global energy, petrochemical and fertilizer markets, and we have covered the complex UK electricity market for nearly two decades. Every day, we assess electricity contracts for more than 40 different delivery periods in the UK market alone. The analysis and data that we produce is widely used as a reference price in energy contracts.

It is our aim to give companies in global commodities markets a competitive advantage by delivering trusted pricing data, high-value news, analysis and independent consulting, enabling our customers to make better-informed trading and planning decisions.

With a global staff of more than 800, ICIS has employees based in Houston, Washington, New York, London, Montpellier, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Milan, Mumbai, Singapore, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Yantai, Tokyo and Perth. ICIS is a division of Reed Business Information.

About Reed Business Information
Reed Business Information provides information, analytics and data to business professionals worldwide. Our strong global products and services hold market-leading positions across a wide range of industry sectors including banking, petrochemicals and aviation where we help customers make key strategic decisions every day. RBI is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professional customers across industries.
http://www.reedbusiness.com

About RELX Group
RELX Group is a global provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs approximately 30,000 people of whom almost half are in North America. RELX PLC is a London listed holding company, which owns 52.9% of RELX Group. RELX NV is an Amsterdam listed holding company, which owns 47.1% of RELX Group. The shares are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX and RENX. The total market capitalisation is approximately £30.8bn/€36.7bn/$39.5bn.
http://www.relx.com

About Elsevier
Elsevier is a global information analytics company that helps institutions and professionals progress science, advance healthcare and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support and professional education, including ScienceDirect, Scopus, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitised journals, including The Lancet and Cell, more than 35,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics to professionals and business customers in a wide range of industries. http://www.elsevier.com

About U.S. Chemicals LLC

Serving the needs of the chemical industry for over 56 years, U.S. Chemicals, a Maroon Group company, combines quality, innovation and service like no other. U.S. Chemicals has built a team that thoroughly understands the complexities of the chemical industry and includes experts at material sourcing and acquisition.

U.S. Chemicals serves as a diversified source for the chemical requirements of many industry sectors, including paint, ink and coatings; chemicals and textiles; cosmetic and personal care products; flame retardants; food and pharmaceutical; plastic; and rubber. It offers prompt delivery from multiple warehouse locations throughout the US.

U.S. Chemicals' world-wide network of resources assures customers of highly competitive pricing, optimum quality and consistency, epic customer care, and rapid worry-free sourcing and delivery.

About ExxonMobil Chemical

ExxonMobil Chemical is one of the largest chemical companies in the world. Our unique portfolio of commodity and specialty businesses generates annual sales of more than 24 million tonnes of prime products. We have world-scale manufacturing facilities in all major regions, and our products serve as the building blocks for a wide variety of everyday consumer and industrial products.

We process feedstocks from ExxonMobil's Upstream and Downstream operations, supplemented with market sources, to manufacture chemical products for higher-value end uses. We focus on product lines that capitalise on scale and technology advantages, building on our strengths in advantaged feedstocks, lower-cost processes, and premium products. As a result, we have strong positions in the markets we serve.

For further ICIS information contact:
John Baker
Global editor, ICIS
Tel: +44-20-8652-3153
Email: john.baker@icis.com
Web site: http://www.icis.com

For further Elsevier information contact:
Christina Valimaki
Senior director, chemicals segment marketing, Elsevier's R&D Solutions
Tel: +1-215-239-3709
Email: c.valimaki@elsevier.com
Web site: http://www.elsevier.com/rd-solutions/chemicals

For further U.S. Chemicals LLC information, contact:
Carol Piccaro
President and CEO
U.S. Chemicals LLC
Tel: +1-203-655-8878
Email: cpiccaro@uschemicals.com
Web site:  http://www.uschemicals.com

For further ExxonMobil Chemical information, contact:
Michael Lacey
ExxonMobil Chemical Company
Tel: +1-832-625-4773
Email: michael.lacey@exxonmobil.com
Web site: http://www.exxonmobilchemical.com