With the installation of 5G, the demand for base stations, active antenna units (AAU) and other equipment will increase dramatically. ����AV is developing innovative and sustainable material solutions and contributing to a smart infrastructure, including sensor technologies and a digital communication environment. The company is cooperating closely with and the . ����AV will present some prototypes at . The project is part of the company´s comprehensive digitalization strategy. Together with its partners, the company is committed to achieving Goals 9 (Innovation and Infrastructure) and 11 (Sustainable Cities) of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

New telecommunications infrastructure

Polycarbonates and their blends have proven themselves in a wide range of electrical and electronic applications and, thanks to their outstanding properties, should also be the materials of choice for 5G technology: “They are mechanically robust, lightweight, transparent to radio frequencies and suitable for injection molding,” explains Fabian Grote, who is a core member of the global 5G team at ����AV. Some grades also show good weather resistance or thermal conductivity or are suitable for two-component injection molding and laser direct structuring (LDS).

To increase public acceptance of an expanded network of antennas and base stations, ����AV is working with students from the renowned Umeå Institute of Design and Deutsche Telekom to seamlessly integrate these technical facilities into the cities of the future. The project includes the development of attractive base stations, their color matching and surface structuring. Düsseldorf served as a reference city for the project.

Flexibility in antenna design

In this project ����AV will enter this market in a hypothetical scenario with its own product range. The actual product is the outer sheath of a third-party antenna, which is designed to adapt to specific environments by either fitting in or protruding from it, depending on the environment and population density. This is where the best potential can be exploited with products that deliver the technical requirements and either integrate or reinforce the character of a city with a 5G network. “At K 2019, we will be showing a series of technical and design prototypes for small cells in the frequency range of 3.5 GHz and 28 GHz,” says Grote.

When 5G technology progresses to higher frequency, e.g. the millimeter wave band, signal transmittance could become a design challenge. “We can help our customers to enjoy more design freedom while ensuring the 5G data transmittance performance with state-of-art testing capabilities in a broad frequency range of up to 50 GHz under a variety of environmental conditions, all in our Asia Pacific Innovation Center in Shanghai,” says Nan Hu, Global Head of Electronics at the Polycarbonates Segment of ����AV.

New film solution for 5G smartphones

5G technology, with its high transfer rates, will also have a significant impact on smartphone design. The antennas for 5G technology require more space. That is just one reason why metal solutions used to date for the back of devices will in future be replaced by ceramics, glass or plastics.

A Makrofol® SR multilayer film solution with acrylic top layer combined with a new manufacturing process results in mobile phone back covers that look like glass but are not fragile. “The film laminate can be formed in three dimensions, and the film solution also meets the requirements for transmission at high radio frequencies with wavelengths in the millimeter range,” explains Echol Zhao, Head of Specialty Films Greater China at ����AV.

This crystal clear, 3D formable and 5G compatible film material is specifically engineered for optimal design freedom for mobile phone brands to create fashionable mobile phones using decoration technologies such as UV patterning and non-conductive vacuum metallization (NCVM). More than 50 percent of the mobile phone market in China is currently switching to such multi-layer PC/PMMA film solutions – a sign of a promising future for the coming 5G era.

About ����AV:

With 2018 sales of EUR 14.6 billion, ����AV is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. ����AV has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,800 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2018.

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Forward-looking statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by ����AV. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in ����AV’s public reports. These reports are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to make them conform to future events or developments.

Following the initial successful participation at the race in Australia 2017 as "Best Newcomer" and the third place at the European Solar Challenge 2018, the team now wants to build on these experiences and challenge the next step at the World Solar Challenge 2019. "There we want to take on the challenge of the world's leading developers from Delft, Michigan and Leuven in Belgium," says Markus Eckstein, first chairman for the Sonnenwagen Team.

As a leading global provider of innovative and sustainable materials solutions, ����AV shares the students' enthusiasm and will work with them to push the boundaries of that which is possible and make the project a success. Julia Cramer, heading the project at ����AV, explains: "We have been working together with the renowned RTWH Aachen for a long time and, after the successful cooperation in 2017, are now supporting the solar car project with a variety of materials and technical services as well as being the main sponsor". The primary objective is to test new materials under the extreme climatic conditions of the track.

Partnership for solar mobility

Global trends such as climate protection and the conservation of resources coupled with increasing mobility are forcing car manufacturers to rethink. Trends such as electric mobility, networking, autonomous driving and car sharing require totally new vehicle concepts and technologies. Lightweight and functional materials from ����AV reduce fuel consumption and play an important role in extending the range of electric vehicles, for example. They also impart the required stability.

Sustainability is a central component of ����AV's corporate strategy, and solar mobility could make an important contribution to climate protection and the conservation of fossil resources. That is why ����AV is supporting this ambitious project and intensifying its cooperation with the Sonnenwagen Team. Thanks to its innovative materials, the company is providing solutions for the mobility of the future. One of ����AV's forward-looking goals is to support automotive concepts in which vehicles generate energy while in motion. Another objective is to test materials that could later be used in other applications. ����AV is also promoting young talent with this project.

The new ����AV Sonnenwagen is scheduled to be presented to the public for the first time in Aachen on 22 July.

About ����AV:

With 2018 sales of EUR 14.6 billion, ����AV is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. ����AV has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,800 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2018.

Find more information at
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Forward-looking statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by ����AV. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in ����AV’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.