BASF and Chinese Academy of Sciences launch a joint lab on sustainable materials

• Both parties jointly innovate to accelerate the speed-to-market of value-added applications and solutions
• BASF’s first joint lab at Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry (CIAC) with the focus on sustainable materials.
• BASF and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) are establishing an advisory committee made up of BASF experts and renowned scientists in the field of sustainable materials in China.

Changchun, China - November 15, 2021 - BASF and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) opened a joint lab on sustainable materials in Changchun, China. Drawing on Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry’s (CIAC) research capabilities and leveraging BASF’s deep expertise to explore next-generation sustainable technologies, the joint lab will integrate the R&D strengths of the two parties to accelerate the speed-to-market.

This marks BASF’s first joint lab with CAS, home to over 80 percent of China’s large-scale science facilities and more than 100 national key laboratories and engineering centers. Both parties will leverage their advantages to create synergy for innovation projects and knowledge exchange, facilitating the development of sustainable technologies, for example, biobased or biodegradable materials, recyclability of materials, fundamental mechanism research of material synthesis, crystallinity, degradability, and recyclability. Innovation outcomes will be viable for many industries and commercialization.

Accompanying the new joint lab, BASF and CAS are establishing an advisory committee made up of BASF experts and renowned scientists in the field of sustainable materials in China. The advisory committee will review R&D project proposals initiated from the joint lab and provide strategic guidance to explore research frontier as well as to drive sustainable technologies.

“At BASF, innovation and sustainability are two main drivers to accelerate business growth. We are honored to partner with CAS to establish the new joint lab on sustainable materials. We are confident that the joint lab, combining BASF’s deep industrial expertise with CIAC’s remarkable research capabilities, will achieve technological breakthroughs and promote a wide range of sustainable technologies into broad industrial applications,” said Dr. Jeffrey Lou, President, Advanced Materials & Systems Research, BASF.

“Sustainable materials research aligns with CIAC’s strategic research direction. The joint lab offers an excellent platform that enables complementary development and collaboration, facilitating exchange among the industries, academia, and research sectors, as well as promoting frontier research development and applications. It will also enrich our researchers’ knowledge on innovative technologies, laying a more solid foundation for nurturing future talent,” said Prof. Xiaoniu Yang, Director of Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry (CIAC).

In December 2020, BASF and CAS signed a strategic partnership agreement that deepens their long-term strategic partnership. Both parties are exploring the frontier of advanced materials and systems, chemical process and engineering, and bioscience. In addition, BASF and CAS are working towards driving digitalization in joint scientific research.

Leveraging the platform of Network for Asian Open Research (NAO), BASF is committed to enhancing R&D capability. Since its establishment in March 2014, BASF and its partners have completed more than 90 joint research projects, covering diverse areas such as new monomers, polymers & application, surfaces and interfaces, coatings, catalysis, battery, chemical & process engineering, bioscience, as well as digitalization & smart manufacturing in Research & Development.

About BASF in Greater China

BASF has been a committed partner to Greater China since 1885. With large production sites in Shanghai, Nanjing and Chongqing, as well as a global and regional research and development hub in Shanghai, BASF is a major foreign investor in the country’s chemical industry. BASF posted sales of approximately €8.5 billion in 2020 to customers in Greater China and employed 8,948 people as of the end of the year. For further information, please visit www.basf.com/cn/en.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2020. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.