Solutions - Products for Societal Needs

Colorful clothes or clean air. Social needs are sometimes urgent, sometimes rather “nice to have”. In any case, however, the search for solutions has been the engine that drives BASF since 1865. 

A glance through “historical spectacles” shows that global challenges have changed significantly in their expression over the course of 150 years, but three areas remain unchanged: raw materials, the environment and climate; food and nutrition; and quality of life. And something else is still the same: just like in 1865, today BASF continues to search for solutions using research and development and ultimately finds them in the form of innovative products.

In 1865, BASF starts to make life more enjoyable – or colorful. At that time, only a few people can afford expensive natural dyes, but everyone wants to wear colorful clothing. BASF dyes create a remedy. Around 1900, the supply of natural nitrogen compounds is no longer sufficient for providing fertilizer to feed the world’s population. BASF finds a solution: ammonia synthesis as the basis for synthetic nitrogen fertilizer.

But the other way around is also possible: first the solution and then the problem. When BASF launches Styropor onto the market in 1951, its potential for thermal insulation is still hardly exploited. Today, Styropor is a classic insulating material. Other BASF developments also contribute to the protection of the environment and climate. Find out which they are!