BASF Japan aims for further growth through head-office relocation and work-style innovation
- Office in Nihonbashi improves customer access and employee convenience
- Allows telecommuting and highly flexible working space and time
Tokyo, Japan – January 16, 2019 – As a new part of its measures for further growth, in March 2019 BASF will relocate its Japan headquarters to Nihonbashi, Chuo Ward, from Roppongi, Minato Ward, Tokyo. The company will simultaneously implement a range of working arrangement innovations designed to provide better customer access, improve productivity, and increase employee convenience.
The new office in Nihonbashi will be designed according to the “Activity-Based Workplace” concept, in which employees can choose their own workspace, desk, chair and other facilities according to their requirements. The company will upgrade its flextime system, which has been in place for 25 years, by eliminating the core time requirement and encouraging employees to choose the most efficient working environment. For the first time, telecommuting will also be offered as an option. Additionally, the move to Nihonbashi will both bring BASF closer to many of its customers and reduce commuting time for about 70% of the company's head office employees.
BASF is simultaneously rolling out a series of employee-led initiatives such as improved conference productivity, stronger technology infrastructure, and streamlined internal business processes.
Hiroki Ishida, Representative Director and President of BASF Japan Ltd., said, “BASF Japan will celebrate its 70-year anniversary this October. To continue to grow with our Japanese and international customers over the course of the next century, we must continuously seek an ideal way of working – both from the top down and from the bottom up. An excellent balance of personal and professional life is already part of our strengths. Now, by further raising the quality of our employees’ working activities, we aim to improve productivity throughout the company, strengthen our competitiveness, and further grow by contributing to the success of our customers.”
“An office that fosters ownership”
The concept behind BASF’s new office in Nihonbashi is "An office that fosters ownership." The flexible workstation system, which was introduced mainly for sales representatives in 2014, will be expanded to all jobs. BASF encourages collaboration among employees by creating an environment where each employee can select the most effective place to work depending on the type of work he or she does. Based on BASF’s global office framework, the concept was developed through interviews with division heads and with employees, as well as workshops to discuss ideal ways of working. BASF also conducted an internal survey on the status of the meetings (location, number of participants and productivity), the relationship between the working environment and productivity, and requests for proximity between departments.
New Address:
OVOL Nihonbashi Building 3F
3-4-4 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0022
Date of relocation: March 6, 2019
At the same time as the relocation of BASF Japan Ltd, the headquarters of BASF Color & Effects Japan Ltd. and BASF Idemitsu Co., Ltd. will be also relocated.
New Representative Phone Numbers:
- BASF Japan Ltd. Tel: 03-5290-3000, Fax: 03-5290-3333
- BASF Colors & Effects Japan Ltd. Tel: 03-5290-2424, Fax: 03-5290-2425
- BASF Idemitsu Co., Ltd. Tel: 03-5290-2400, Fax: 03-5290-2410
About BASF in Japan
BASF has been a committed partner to Japan since 1888. BASF has 24 production sites, including 16 admixture plants of the Construction Chemicals division. In addition, BASF maintains a strong research and development presence in Japan with its facilities in Amagasaki, Yokohama, Chigasaki, and Naruto. As of the end of 2017, BASF employed 1,087 employees in Japan, and achieved sales of about €1.7 billion to customers in Japan. For further information, please visit: www.basf.com/jp.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The more than 115,000 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 six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of more than €60 billion in 2017. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS). Further information at www.basf.com.
