In 2025, Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) marks its 60th anniversary, a significant milestone in its history. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the University of Manchester China Centre is launching a series of ESG Alumni Enterprise Visits. This initiative aims to deepen our understanding of the practical application and innovation of ESG principles within enterprises by visiting alumni-led businesses. It also seeks to strengthen connections and collaboration among alumni, collectively driving a sustainable future. On November 18, we will launch the third event in our series— "Carbonovation: Material Innovations Powering ESG Ecosystems”-UoM Alumni Industry Insight Tour @ Covestro Sustainability Exchange. This promises to be a deep dive into the innovative ESG practices of our alumni businesses and a great chance for alumni networking and collaboration.
Date：18 Nov，2025（Tue）
Time：13:30-16：00
Venue：Polymer Research & Development Center, Covestro
Address：No. 33 Qinqiao Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai
13：30 Registration & safety training
14：00 Keynote Welcome:
-Mr. Frank Zhang, Head of Application & Market Development APAC,
Business Unit Coatings and Adhesives, Covestro
- Ms.SherryFU,Director, The University of Manchester China Centre
14：10Accelerating Circular Economy: Carbon-neutral Solutions in Practice
- Speaker: Mr. Alex YU, Global Circular Economy Manager,Covestro
14：30 From Policy Drivers to Global Opportunities
- SpecialGuest:Mr.Arthur HUANG, Co-founder & CEO, CARBON NEWTRUE
14：50 ESG in Industrial Development: From Principles to Practice
- SpecialGuest:Ms. Jie ZHANG, Director of Strategy & Development, Design Innovation Institute Shanghai (DIIS),& Executive Director, D.Transformer Incubator
15：00 Roundtable [Ms.SherryFU, Mr. Alex YU, Mr.Arthur HUANG, Ms. Jie ZHANG]
From Molecule to Market: Monetizing Sustainable Materials Innovation
15：15 Covestro APAC Innovation Center Tour
16：00 Event Ends
Mr. Alex YU
Global Circular Economy Manager in Group Innovation & Sustainability of Covestro. Meanwhile, serve as a visiting lecturer at the UN Environment Programme-Tongji University Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD), and as the Deputy Secretary General of the Urban Renewal Branch of the Shanghai Foreign Investment Association.
Hold a master's degree in Polymer Science from Shanghai University, an MBA from the University of Manchester in the UK, and a holder of the CFA "Certificate of ESG Investing".
Alex is committed to establishing the Sustainability strategy of Covestro in APAC through the understanding of global policy, corporate strategy and local market, assisting business entities to conduct value proposition and promote the value of sustainable products in key markets, and promoting the landing and expansion of circular economy in Covestro. Prior to that, Alex served as the head of Market Insights & Solutions APAC, responsible for corporate strategic competitive intelligence. Before joining Covestro, Alex worked in a multinational consulting firm as the principal consultant in 7 years, participated in and led hundreds consulting projects, and provided market / industry insights and solutions for cross industry customers.
Mr.Arthur HUANG
UoM GMBA Alumus
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of CarbonNewture, and an expertmember of the ESG Working Group under the China Chamber of Commerce for Import andExport of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME).
With extensive experience inmultinational corporations and high-tech companies, he has a solid background in marketingand management. He has long been dedicated to delivering professional services across cuttingedgefields such as low-carbon transformation, digital empowerment, carbon and greencertificate trading, and ESG, with strong industry expertise and hands-on experience.
Ms. Jie ZHANG
Director of Strategy & Development at Design Innovation Institute Shanghai (DIIS)
In DIIS, she founded D.Transformer—a municipal-level incubator supporting AI, sustainability, wellness-tech and hardware startups. She also leads one of Shanghai's brand innovation hubs and a youth innovation lab. A Yale and MIT graduate, she is a licensed U.S. architect, LEED-accredited professional, and senior engineer. She has previously directed the development of over a million square meters of landmark buildings and urban renewal projects, winning the Red Dot Best of the Best Award and recognition from international platforms such as UNDP, Bloomberg, and Fast Company.
Covestro is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality polymer materials and their components. With its innovative products, processes and methods, the company helps enhance sustainability and the quality of life in many areas. Covestro supplies customers around the world in key industries such as mobility, building and living, as well as the electrical and electronics sector. In addition, polymers from Covestro are also used in sectors such as sports and leisure, telecommunications and health, as well as in the chemical industry itself.
The company is geared completely to the circular economy. In addition, Covestro aims to achieve climate neutrality for its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2035, and the Group’s Scope 3 emissions are also set to be climate neutral by 2050. Covestro generated sales of EUR 14.2 billion in fiscal year 2024. At the end of 2024, the company had 46 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 17,500 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).
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