Coinciding with the start of the new academic year, the fifth annual “Henkel Innovation Challenge” international student competition is set to begin. Students from all disciplines are invited to develop innovative ideas in teams of two. Participants have until December 12 to register at www.henkelchallenge.com.

Laundry that gets done in an instant with no noise and with total ecological compatibility while hanging in the wardrobe in a kind of clothes bag – it could all come true with a detergent of the future called Persilan Oxygen. At least, that is the idea put forward by Anna Szarecka und Anna Szpot of Warsaw School of Economics, Poland. The two students made a powerful case with their innovative concept for a Henkel product for the year 2050, winning the Henkel Innovation Challenge in the process. And they can be proud of their feat for, having come out top in the international final of this student competition in Berlin, they have seen off some of the best teams the world has to offer.

New semester, new challenge – for the fourth year in a row, Henkel is organizing another round in its successful student competition. The task: to develop a product for a Henkel brand for the year 2050. For the first time, this year sees teams from 14 European countries and also from the Asia-Pacific region taking part. And the team adjudged to be the best in this international competition can look forward to a ticket for a trip around the world.

Eleven teams, one objective: to win the Henkel Innovation Challenge. At the international final of Henkel’s student competition in Amsterdam (Netherlands), exceptionally well prepared teams presented their creative ideas for the year 2050 – leaving the company’s top managers on the jury no easy task in selecting the winners.

Students please take note! The third “Henkel Innovation Challenge” – an international student competition – is about to get underway. The company is seeking talented individuals of all disciplines wishing to put their creativity and expertise to the test and compare their abilities on an international scale. Would-be participants are invited to log in at www.henkelchallenge.com and register their details by December 14, 2009. An exclusive language holiday awaits the winners. They will also have the unique opportunity of personally meeting Henkel CEO Kasper Rorsted.

In the fall of 2008, Henkel launched its second international student competition under the name ‘Henkel Innovation Challenge’. Now the finals in Brussels have just come to an end. The eleven best student teams from throughout Europe presented their ideas before an international jury comprised of Henkel managers. As ‘business development managers’, they elaborated a concept for a Henkel product in the year 2050. The winners were the team representing the Netherlands studying at the Rotterdam School of Management. These upcoming talents presented a compelling concept for an innovative, environmentally compatible detergent able to function without water.

Coinciding with the start of the new academic year, the second ‘Henkel Innovation Challenge’, Henkel’s international student competition, is being launched. The challenge this time: competing students will be expected to act as creative business development managers and prepare a concept for a Henkel product from the company’s Cosmetics/Toiletries or Laundry & Home Care business sectors capable of generating success in the year 2050. The competition is open to students of all disciplines in eleven European countries, who are now invited to register at www.henkelchallenge.com. The closing date for enrolment is January 12, 2009. Among the prizes awaiting the winning team is an exciting trip.