Joint News Release

• BASF promotes cathode material innovation and protection of intellectual property
• BASF’s active sublicensing strategy will further support industry growth.

Iselin, USA and Beijing, China, 29 November, 2017 – BASF has granted Pulead a sub-license under Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) patents related to nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathode materials for lithium ion batteries. NCM cathode materials are used for cost effective high energy, safety and long-life batteries for many applications including e-mobility. Pulead is now licensed to make, use, sell, offer to sell, distribute and import the NCM cathode materials in the U.S. market.

“BASF is the only licensee of ANL’s prominent NCM cathode materials patents with the ability to grant sub-licenses. We are pursuing a sub-licensing strategy to other industry players so that NCM customers can be able to continue their business with the full respect to intellectual property and technology innovation, and end-users can benefit from this innovation. Customers may continue to use existing product platforms unimpeded through the supply from licensed suppliers,” said Jeffrey Lou, Senior Vice President of BASF’s global battery materials.  “Pulead as a responsible market player has a strong reputation for quality and integrity with a good customer base in the battery industry.”

“Pulead respects intellectual property and this license is important to our NCM customers with regard to freedom to operate,” said Dr. Yuan Gao, CEO of Pulead. “We are pleased to become a sub-licensee of the ANL NCM patents from BASF.”

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into five segments: Chemicals, Performance Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about €58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.

About BASF’s Catalysts Division
BASF’s Catalysts division is the world’s leading supplier of environmental and process catalysts. The group offers exceptional expertise in the development of technologies that protect the air we breathe, produce the fuels that power our world and ensure efficient production of a wide variety of chemicals, plastics and other products, including advanced battery materials. By leveraging our industry-leading R&D platforms, passion for innovation and deep knowledge of precious and base metals, BASF’s Catalysts division develops unique, proprietary solutions that drive customer success. Further information on BASF’s Catalysts division is available on the Internet at www.catalysts.basf.com

About Pulead
Established in 1999 by Oriental Investment Co. Ltd and Peking University, Pulead Technology Industry is one of China’s leading Li-ion battery cathode producers. Together with its strategically positioned subsidiaries and JVs in cathodes, anodes and separators as well as in upstream lithium resources and downstream large format battery packs, Pulead is becoming a key player in the Li-ion battery supply chain.  www.pulead.com.cn

P-17-368