Business Segments

Since January 1, 2019, BASF’s 11 divisions are grouped into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. This segment structure sharpens our portfolio and increases transparency.

Businesses are clustered to improve customer experience and to fully realize Verbund synergies as exemplified by the “connectors” in the graphic below:

We develop our production processes using a central R&D platform. As a result, plants in different businesses can benefit from the experiences of others.
Catalysis is a core technology that is fundamental to more than 90% of our production.
We have unique formulation know-how that is used in many businesses and allows us to support customers.
Biosciences and the markets for nutritional products combine elements of the Nutrition & Care segment and the Agricultural Solutions segment.
In many cases, different businesses supply the same customer industry. The most prominent example is the automotive industry.
We are building up a Digital Verbund to harvest advantages from the vast amount of data we collect across all segments.

Information on the business development of the segments in 2020, including impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, can be found in BASF’s quarterly statements.

Key facts

Six segments comprising 11 operating divisions with 75 strategic business units

Our portfolio ranges from basic petrochemicals to agricultural solutions

The divisions and strategic business units are organized according to business models and value chains

Distinct roadmaps for each segment to step up growth

We take a differentiated approach to steering our businesses according to market-specific requirements and the competitive environment. We provide a high level of transparency around the results of our segments and show the importance of the Verbund and value chains to our business success. We aim to differentiate our businesses from competitors and establish a high-performance organization to enable BASF to be successful in an increasingly competitive market environment.

The Chemicals segment comprises the Petrochemicals and Intermediates divisions and is the cornerstone of BASF’s Verbund structure. It supplies the other segments with basic chemicals and intermediates, contributing to the organic growth of our key value chains. Alongside internal transfers, customers include the chemical and plastics industries. The segment’s competitiveness is strengthened by technological leadership and operational excellence.

The Materials segment is composed of the Performance Materials division and the Monomers division. The segment offers advanced materials and their precursors for new applications and systems. Its product portfolio includes isocyanates and polyamides as well as inorganic basic products and specialties for plastics and plastics processing.

The Industrial Solutions segment consists of the Dispersions & Pigments and the Performance Chemicals divisions. The segment develops and markets ingredients and additives for industrial applications, such as polymer dispersions, pigments, resins, electronic materials, antioxidants and additives. Its customers come from key industries such as automotive, plastics and electronics.

The Surface Technologies segment bundles chemical solutions for surfaces with the Catalysts and Coatings divisions. Its product spectrum includes catalysts and battery materials for the automotive and chemical industries, surface treatments, colors and coatings.

The Nutrition & Care segment comprises the Care Chemicals division and the Nutrition & Health division. The segment produces ingredients and solutions for consumer applications in the areas of nutrition, home and personal care. Its customers include food and feed producers as well as the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and the detergent and cleaner industries.

The Agricultural Solutions segment consists of the division of the same name. As an integrated provider, its portfolio comprises fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and biological crop protection products, as well as seeds and seed treatment products. Furthermore, Agricultural Solutions offers farmers innovative solutions, including those based on digital technologies, combined with practical advice.

Activities that are not allocated to any of the segments are recorded under Other. These include other businesses, which comprise commodity trading, engineering and other services, rental income and leases. Discontinued operations and certain activities remaining after divestitures are also reported here.

The following activities are also presented under Other:

The steering of the BASF Group by corporate headquarters.
Cross-divisional corporate research, which includes plant biotechnology research, works on long-term topics of strategic importance to the BASF Group. Furthermore, it focuses on the development of specific key technologies, which are of central importance for the divisions.
Results from currency translation that are not allocated to the segments; earnings from the hedging of raw materials prices and foreign currency exchange risks; and gains and losses from the long-term incentive programs (LTI programs).
Remanent fixed costs resulting from organizational changes or restructuring; function and region-related restructuring costs not allocated to a division; idle capacity costs from internal human resource platforms; and consolidation effects that cannot be allocated to the divisions.