Axalta Coating Systems has hosted its annual Campus Talk entitled Technology Drives A Brighter Future for Us at its new Asia Pacific Technology Center (APTC) which was formally opened earlier in the day.

Aligned with Axalta’s global STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education program and as part of China’s Sustainable Education Program, Campus Talk is an annual program for universities in China to create awareness, and educate local academic communities on technology and industry trends related to coatings.

Although the company has conducted previous Campus Talks, for the first time, Axalta expanded its engagement to five universities and invited participants to its facility. More than 50 students and professors from East China University of Science and Technology, Hefei University of Technology, Shanghai Jiaotong, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, and Shanghai Tongji University, attended this year’s Campus Talk at the APTC which included a tour of its next generation facilities.

Dr. Barry Synder, Axalta’s Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, hosted the Campus Talk. His discussion shared Axalta’s vision for the coating industry and the central role innovation plays in product development, formulation technologies, color technology, applications and technical support and service that enable customers to gain competitive advantages, enhance productivity, increase profitability or to be more sustainable in their operations. Students also heard from Axalta Chairman and CEO Charlie Shaver.

“Technology has a critical impact on our world and our future,” said Dr. Snyder. “As Axalta continues to invest in technology and R&D to innovate in world-class facilities such as the new APTC, we are committed to investing in the education of our future leaders who will continue our legacy in innovation for the coating industry.”

During the Campus Talk, Axalta also announced its sponsorship for the Shanghai Tongji University Racing team (TJU racing team), a champion team for Formula SAE 2016, an auto design competition organized by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) International. The race car was fully designed and operated by students of the College of Automotive Studies of Tongji University, a prestigious university in China. Technicians at Axalta’s Refinish Training Center in the APTC painted the race car with Axalta’s Spies Hecker® refinish products.

“Future scientists and R&D stars in universities have Axalta’s full-on attention, and both our Campus Talks and sponsorship of the Tongji team in China are designed to unleash students’ potential in their pursuit of materials science, chemical engineering, physics, and color technology,” said Willie Wu, Axalta Vice President and President of Greater China. “To get all these elements to work cohesively and beautifully in coatings takes strong foundational work in core academic disciplines. As an advocate for sustainability, one of our goals is to familiarize upcoming generations early on with sustainable technologies and provide our support as a leader in the industry.”