Our Mission

The mission of the Network for European Open Innovation (NEO) is to pioneer collaborative innovation that drives sustainable progress in chemistry and beyond. By strategically connecting BASF with Europe’s foremost academic institutions, startups, and industry leaders, we co-develop transformative solutions that address global challenges in sustainability, digitalization, and carbon management. Leveraging our unique proximity to BASF headquarters and our dedicated joint labs, NEO fosters a dynamic ecosystem where cutting-edge ideas flourish, partnerships thrive, and impactful technologies are brought to life – ensuring BASF's leadership in Open Innovation and advancing a more sustainable future.

The NEO Network

The Network for European Open Innovation is a strategic initiative of BASF that harnesses the power of Open Innovation to co-create  technologies with external partners. Positioned at the heart of Europe, close to our headquarters and joint innovation labs, NEO plays a crucial role in advancing BASF’s commitment to driving sustainable and cutting-edge solutions. Our proximity to key innovation hubs across the continent, coupled with our deep collaboration with academia, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders, makes us the leading chemical company in Open Innovation since our inception.

Our Strategic Pillars to catalyze Open Innovation

• Effective Partnership Identification & Engagement: We identify ideas outside the BASF space. We align our collaborations with BASF's innovation and business strategies to ensure that our partnerships are impactful and mutually beneficial.

• Operational Excellence & Transparency: We produce proof of concepts for the BASF research programs and operational divisions. We simplify processes and enhance collaboration efforts to maximize resource efficiency, ensuring that every engagement delivers value for all parties involved.

• Regional Impact: By strengthening connections within Europe’s dynamic innovation ecosystem, we connect key players from academic institutions, start-ups, and other industry leaders to BASF’s global R&D pipeline, ensuring the seamless flow of groundbreaking ideas.

• Team Health & Culture: We cultivate an inclusive and supportive environment that fosters continuous growth, well-being, and professional development for our teams and partners. We grow our team through the talent of our collaborators.