Germany’s specialty chemical company, Evonik Corporation, has launched its second national competition for college students to generate ideas and creative solutions that could help the company solve problems or explore opportunities.

Evonik’s latest competition involves Shape Memory Polymer. The students need to provide an innovative idea or application that will use the material in a consumer or industrial setting, according to a press release.

Shape Memory Polymer materials can be mechanically stretched or re-formed to several times its original size at ambient temperatures, then heated and have it return to its original forms within 99+ per cent accuracy.

The rubber can be extruded or moulded into various forms – monofilaments (for example, guitar strings), woven multi-filaments (for example, fibres for apparel or as large as woven rope), extruded sheet stock (up to 8-feet wide with any length), or injection-moulded parts (any geometry).

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, vice president and regional head of corporate innovation strategy & management at Evonik Corporation said, “Based on the success of our first competition, we are again providing students across the country with an opportunity to work on a real-life problem. Utilizing such a program to engage students is at the very heart of innovation – finding novel ways to reach a solution.”

The competition is operated by MindSumo, a San Francisco-based firm that connects students with companies. The challenges are offered to students at more than 400 universities, with a particular focus on science and engineering fields. Winners will be awarded cash prizes. The current Evonik competition is open till June 3, 2015. (GK)