At this year's 47th WorldSkills Competition held in Lyon, France, more than 1,400 competitors from around 70 countries and regions took part in the event. BASF’s Coatings division, as the exclusive global industry partner for the Car Painting skill, supported the young talents and experts from around the world with its Glasurit 100 Line, the world's leading premium automotive refinish paint system. It is noted for its outstanding performance backed by proven benchmark results in process time, consumption, and sustainability.

All finalists and the WorldSkills professionals were trained in a hybrid format by Glasurit's experts via a series of exclusive digital webinars, online training courses and select training courses held at the world-class Refinish Competence Centers supported by Glasurit Know-how and Refinity®, the most extensive refinish business learning and information platforms in the industry.

23 talented painters faced off against each other and, after an exciting four-day competition, the world champions in the Car Painting skill were determined. The gold medal went Yuto Hoshino from Japan. The silver medal was awarded to three best car painters from Europe: Lara Kaufmann from Switzerland, Jason Scherer from Germany and Ronan Le Tutour from France.

During the event, all car painting finalists were judged on their level of eco-efficiency in the paint application process, promoting excellence in sustainable practices. By using Glasurit 100 Line, Refinity and paint-related material from SATA and 3M, the car painters are encouraged to be mindful of using the precise amount of paint materials to achieve the highest quality results, thereby enhancing eco- effectiveness for both the environment and the business.

The Sustainability Practice Award recognizes competitors who demonstrate the most efficient use of materials and products. At WorldSkills Lyon 2024, the results were achieved for the first time with Glasurit 100 Line and Refinity.

"We know that skills development is a key driver of sustainability especially when it is at the heart of government, industry, and education strategies. Along with our partners, we have placed extra effort to develop tangible objectives for the responsible management of the event and its impact, particularly regarding the environment. Congratulations to Glasurit for pioneering sustainability with its 100 Line and continuing to lead the way and shape refinish car painting with the most innovative processes and solutions," said David Hoey, CEO of WorldSkills International. Among the 23 competitors, Glasurit and SATA awarded first place  for their most eco-effective preparation of process to Yuto Hoshino from Japan. Second place went to Vikash from India, and third   place  went  to   Hui-Shan  Chen from Chinese Taipei.

"WorldSkills Lyon 2024 has been a truly inspiring event this year, spectacular in every way. The passion and excellence shown by the high caliber of talent in the Car Painting skill competition has been phenomenal. We have raised the bar with Glasurit 100 Line and we’re setting new standards for sustainable skill development required by the industry. With WorldSkills, and our vocational training partners, we’re committed to delivering an even more diverse and highly skilled workforce to lead the future of collision repair," said Chris Titmarsh, Senior Vice President, Global Automotive Refinish Coatings, BASF.

The world's first WorldSkills Museum was inaugurated in Shanghai, China, in 2023 with a special presence of BASF’s Glasurit brand. The 48th WorldSkills Competition will be held in Shanghai in 2026.