BASF announces new Shanghai facilities

BASF is opening new facilities at the Innovation Campus Shanghai, to further strengthen collaboration with the automotive industry and to offer new process catalysts to the chemical industry.

With an investment of approximately €34m, the new 5,000sqm facilities include the Automotive Application Center and the Process Catalysis Research & Development (R&D) Center.

At the inauguration, the company also presented a range of locally-developed innovations which support customers in industries like automotive, construction and consumer goods, and which address important market trends to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency and enhance performance. BASF launched an innovative waterborne coating system on the same occasion.

‘China’s most important growth industries can benefit enormously from innovations in chemistry. Thanks to continuous investment in research and development over the past several years, we are able to support our customers in China and the entire Asia Pacific region as they strive to improve consumers’ quality of life, address the challenges of rapid development and meet their sustainability goals,’ said Stephan Kothrade, president functions Asia Pacific, president and chairman Greater China, BASF.O

Equipped with a spray booth for electrostatic applications, a physical testing lab, and a 3D robot, the BASF Automotive Application Center, Asia Pacific is designed to enable customer-oriented R&D activities. The 3D robot can simulate nearly any situation on a paint line, anywhere in the world; enabling the new center to optimize application processes and products. It can apply the automotive coatings not only on horizontal and vertical surfaces, but also on three-dimensional objects such as car doors and bumpers. The robot allows BASF to develop new products for customers in the automotive industry. It provides design solutions for automotive products as well as potential new trends and developments in the automotive coatings industry.

Located at the same premises, the new Process Catalysis R&D Center will focus on the development of new process catalysts to meet the specific needs of BASF customers in Asia Pacific.

The center hosts specialized testing units for evaluating solid catalyst performance, and facilities for solids processing. Scientists will develop new catalytic materials for both new and existing process catalysis applications. The new R&D center will also scale up tailor-made process catalysts and adsorbents for the regional catalyst market.

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