More than 1,400 competitors from around 70 countries and regions took part in this year's 47th WorldSkills competition in Lyon, France. In the vehicle painting category, 23 painters competed against each other. After a four-day competition, the world champions in vehicle painting were crowned. The gold medal went to Yuto Hushino from Japan. Silver went to the best vehicle painters from Europe: Lara Kaufmann from Switzerland, Jason Scherer from Germany and Ronan Le Tutour from France.
BASF provided support through webinars and training
All finalists and WorldSkills experts were trained in a hybrid format by BASF Coatings in exclusive digital webinars, online courses and selected training sessions at the Refinish Competence Centers. During the event, all finalists in the automotive coatings category were also judged on their eco-efficiency in painting to promote excellence in sustainable processes. By using Glasurit Series 100, Refinity and accessories from SATA and 3M, refinishers are enabled to use just the right amount of paint materials to achieve high quality results, improving eco-effectiveness for both the environment and the refinishing operation.
Sustainability Practice Award
The Sustainability Practice Award recognizes the participants who use materials and products most efficiently. At WorldSkills Lyon 2024, Glasurit Series 100 and Refinity were used for the first time. "Congratulations to Glasurit. The brand has pioneered sustainability with Series 100 and continues to lead the way in vehicle painting with the most innovative processes and solutions," says David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International.
BASF is a global industry partner
BASF's Coatings division is the exclusive global industry partner for automotive coatings and supported the young talents with Glasurit Series 100, a premium paint system for refinishing. Among the 23 participants, Glasurit and SATA awarded first place for the most eco-efficient process preparation to Yuto Hushino from Japan. Second place went to Vikash from India and third place to Hui-Shan Chen from Taiwan.