BASF is enhancing its regional innovation capabilities with 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 �34 million, the new 5,000-square-meter 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 Dr. Stephan Kothrade, President Functions Asia Pacific, President and Chairman Greater China, BASF.

"At the Innovation Campus Shanghai, we are continuously enhancing our R&D capabilities in advanced materials, chemical process engineering and catalysts by integrating new technologies and building our teams," said Dr. Harald Lauke, President, Advanced Materials & Systems Research and Research Representative Asia Pacific, BASF. "We have invested nearly �180 million here since 2012. More importantly, our R&D experts work closely with our business teams and customers, so as to shorten the time-to-market of innovative products."

BASF is also making progress in its research collaboration projects with the region's prestigious universities via the NAO platform – Network for Asian Open Research. For example, BASF is partnering with Sichuan University and is exploring improved solutions for important market needs like high chemical resistance of polyamide blends.

The building and facilities were completed after a 15-month construction phase, achieving 600,000 safe working hours without lost-time injuries. On top of safety measures, the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system has been integrated with an off-gas treatment facility, i.e. with an activated carbon unit, installed on the rooftop of the building to remove VOCs such as hydrocarbons, solvents, and organic-based odours from the spraying process. The building also has an advanced wastewater treatment system for the Process Catalysis R&D centre. The system is used to treat process wastewater and to remove industrial effluents. The newly constructed building also follows the green building concept.