Joint News Release of BASF and Heidelberg University
- BASF and Heidelberg University renew their successful research cooperation up to the end of 2017
- International team of scientists develops homogeneous catalysis systems
Ludwigshafen, Germany – March 25, 2015 – BASF and Heidelberg University have signed a new agreement for their joint catalysis laboratory “Catalysis Research Laboratory” (CaRLa). The research cooperation at Heidelberg site ongoing since 2006 has been extended to October 2017.
“Catalysts play a central role in many technical processes in chemistry. In times of increasingly scare resources they are of major importance for energy and raw material efficient processes,” says Dr. Peter Schumacher, head of the research department Process Research and Chemical Engineering at BASF. “CaRLa combines the broad scientific expertise of Heidelberg University with the chemical-technical know-how of BASF, thereby offering an outstanding infrastructure to jointly lay the foundation for new industrial catalytic processes.”
CaRLa will continue to be managed by two scientific heads. Following the age-related retirement of Prof. Dr. Peter Hofmann, one of the initiators of CaRLa, Prof. Dr. Oliver Trapp of the Organic Chemical Institute will assume the scientific management for Heidelberg University. For BASF, Dr. Thomas Schaub has been the scientific head and laboratory manager at the site since mid 2014. There have also been organizational changes and new appointments in the controlling team. With the new agreement, the scientific heads Trapp and Schaub jointly emphasize that the successful project work in the joint catalysis laboratory can be continued and further expanded.
Topics for academic and industrial research
The Catalysis Research Laboratory (CaRLa) focuses on current topics in the field of homogeneous catalysis. CaRLa stands for the successful cooperation between academic and industrial research. At present, a jointly financed international team of eight doctorate level scientists, one engineer and the laboratory manager are working on developing new homogeneous catalysis systems. The main emphasis of research is on fundamental and industrially relevant challenges such as the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a synthesis building block or more efficient amination reactions.
The proximity of CaRLa to BASF’s research laboratories and Heidelberg University offers ideal background conditions for outstanding catalysis research and rapid knowledge transfer from principle-based research to industry. The international reputation also draws on a large number of high level scientific publications and positive evaluations from the years 2009 and 2014. The excellent international networking of CaRLa is promoted by the annual CaRLa Winter School, a one-week top class symposium on cutting-edge themes of homogeneous catalysis, and by the network of meanwhile more than 70 alumni in academic and industrial laboratories around the world.
Further information can be found at: www.CaRLa-hd.de
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry – and have been doing so for 150 years. Our portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. As the world’s leading chemical company, 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 over €74 billion in 2014 and around 113,000 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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