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5 февраля 2014 г.

BASF inaugurates Battery Materials R&D and Application Center in Amagasaki, Japan

  • Laboratory focuses on electrolytes and electrode materials for lithium ion batteries
  • Application Technology Center to better serve the needs of customers in Japan with customized solutions
  • Extends R&D co-operation with leading Japanese research institutes and battery manufacturers

Ludwigshafen, Germany; Amagasaki, Japan – February 5, 2014 –BASF today inaugurated its Research and Development Laboratory and Application Technology Center for Battery Materials in Amagasaki, Japan.

The facility, located in the Amagasaki Research Incubation Center (ARIC), is BASF’s first combined battery materials research and development (R&D) and application technology operation in Asia Pacific.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by the mayor of Amagasaki City along with government officials, customers, researchers and BASF employees.

“The new Amagasaki Battery Materials Lab will enable us to extend our successful R&D network with research institutes and the battery manufacturing industry into Japan,” said Dr. Peter Schuhmacher, President Process Research and Chemical Engineering at BASF. “The addition of Amagasaki to this global network demonstrates our ongoing commitment to advancing the battery materials industry.”

The Amagasaki laboratory will focus on developing electrolytes and electrode materials for high-performance lithium ion batteries as part of BASF’s global R&D network, leveraging technology platforms from around the world. In addition, the Amagasaki laboratory will run development programs jointly with Japanese customers. This will allow BASF to serve customer’s needs in Japan more quickly.

Dr. Joerg-Christian Steck, Representative Director & President of BASF Japan, stated: “Japan is a leader in battery manufacturing and development. Amagasaki, in the Kansai area, is the ideal location for the new battery materials laboratory. Our R&D presence in Japan brings us closer to our customers, enabling us to better serve their needs.” The total investment for the new Amagasaki facility, which covers new offices and laboratories located at a 600 square meter site, is several million euros. The laboratory will combine organic and inorganic synthesis, analytics and electrochemical testing within one group. This facilitates understanding of how different materials such as electrodes and electrolytes interact with each other in battery applications, thus supporting materials optimization. In addition, the company will benefit from increased synergies with existing BASF teams that are researching chemistry for use in organic photovoltaic cells and electronic materials.

In July 2013 the Battery Materials Lab was selected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as a “Project Promoting Asian Site Location in Japan” as part of a program supporting global companies’ establishment of new, high-value-added business locations in the country.

Global Network Expansion

In the battery materials segment, BASF currently operates six production plants and pilot production sites in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Elyria and Beachwood, Ohio; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Troy, Michigan; and Suzhou, China; as well as six R&D sites in Ludwigshafen; Beachwood and Independence, Ohio; Rochester Hills, Michigan; Suzhou, China; and Amagasaki, Japan.

BASF is investing several hundred million euros in leading edge battery materials research, development, and manufacturing projects, between 2011 and 2016. To strengthen its global position in this field, BASF announced in October 2013 that it will invest $25 million in renovating and expanding its research and development facility in Beachwood, Ohio. As one of the battery industry’s leading suppliers, BASF will have R&D facilities in all three markets (North America, Europe and Asia Pacific) that support customers’ individual requirements. BASF expects global sales from the battery materials business of at least €500 million by the year 2020.

To achieve this, BASF has been implementing a strategic business plan since the founding of the Battery Materials business unit in 2012, acquiring and entering licensing agreements with various cathode material and electrolyte businesses and strengthening its battery materials technical infrastructure and access to the global market.

For more information: www.catalysts.basf.com/batterymaterials.

About BASF Japan

BASF started doing business in Japan in 1888. Activities cover four business segments including chemicals, performance products, functional materials & solutions and agricultural solutions. The main production sites are in Chigasaki (admixtures for concrete, construction materials), Kitatone (personal care ingredients), Isohara (plastic additives), Totsuka (coatings) and Yokkaichi (thermoplastic polyurethanes and polymer dispersions). The Amagasaki R&D Center focuses on innovative solutions for electronics and energy management, as well as product development and technical services for coatings, inks, adhesives & sealants, and packaging industries. The Yokohama Innovation Center (engineering plastics) was established in January 2012. In 2012, BASF employed 1,309 employees in Japan, and achieved sales of €1,666 million to customers in Japan. For further information please visit: www.japan.basf.com.

About BASF

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of €72.1 billion in 2012 and more than 110,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

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