Driven by customer needs, BASF brings sustainable solutions with Chinese customers to "build a new future.

Shenzhen, China - April 13, 2021 - Today, BASF presented a number of innovative solutions at CHINAPLAS 2021. Basf saw significant growth and strong operational performance in Greater China in 2020. The acquisition of Solvay's polyamide business further expands BASF's product portfolio. In addition, investment projects have made good progress, and BASF will purchase renewable energy power for the first installations of BASF's Zhanjiang integrated site in accordance with the latest Guangdong renewable energy power trading policy. The new engineering plastic modification plant currently under construction at the site will be put into production in 2022.

Andy Postlethwaite, Global Senior Vice President of BASF's Specialty Materials Division, Asia Pacific, said: "BASF has always supported customers in developing innovative solutions that meet the needs of People's Daily lives while also responding to changing market trends and regulatory requirements. By turning ideas into practical, ideal solutions, we live up to BASF's core tenet - creating new roles for chemistry and pursuing a sustainable future. The first units of the BASF Zhanjiang Integrated base, which is under construction, will be put into production in the future. At the same time, the acquisition of Solvay further expands our product portfolio and strengthens our research and development capabilities. With our new process and technical expertise in advanced materials and component testing, we are better able to develop advanced materials solutions. These strengths will help us accelerate our time-to-market and respond more quickly to and meet our customers' demand for innovative material solutions in the automotive, 5G and electrical and electronics industries in the Asia-Pacific region."

Promote sustainable development through innovation

In terms of sustainability, BASF is bringing more sustainable solutions to the market through continuous innovation, in conjunction with its Climate Neutral 2050 roadmap, which was launched in March. As part of the sustainable product solution, while offering customers a range of products to help them reduce and decarbonize their carbon footprint, in 2021 BASF Characteristic Materials is calculating the product carbon footprint of BASF's products on sale and verifying them according to product type.

At the same time, BASF is actively exploring future possibilities to contribute to the circular economy of plastics by rethinking the positioning of plastics, reducing plastic waste and promoting the reuse and recycling of plastics. At this year's Rubber & Plastics exhibition, BASF showcased a series of co-creation products to fully demonstrate this. A car trunk cover made from recycled polyurethane waste using BASF polyurethane adhesive Elastan® CC 6521 is a good example of how to effectively recycle waste plastics. In addition, BASF will exhibit co-created products such as cold storage panels, laptop backpacks and autonomous wireless chargers developed in cooperation with customers, further demonstrating how improving material properties and energy efficiency can impact the circular economy of plastics.

This cold storage co-creation is made of the new pentane foam B1 Elastopir® system, which offers extremely high temperature stability and low global warming potential (GWP).

This notebook backpack is made of BASF Haptex® synthetic leather fabric, certified by the international environmental textile association OEKO-TEX® ECO PASSPORT, and does not require the use of organic solvents in the production process, which can effectively improve production efficiency.

Using BASF's advanced material solutions, this autonomous wireless charger is robust and can accommodate complex components and sensors related to 5G, iot and artificial intelligence, as well as harsh outdoor environmental conditions. Because the charger is made of high-performance plastic rather than non-metallic materials, the weight is greatly reduced and the energy consumption is effectively reduced, so that the charger can be reliably operated in an energy-efficient manner.

E-commerce platforms provide new impetus for BASF's growth in Greater China

In 2020, despite the challenging business environment under the COVID-19 pandemic, BASF's sales in Greater China reached a record high of around 8.5 billion euros (2019 sales: 7.3 billion euros), demonstrating remarkable strength and resilience. Dr. Daqing Zheng, BASF's Global Senior Vice President, Business and Market Development in Greater China, said: "We achieved this performance with the strength of our business and our ability to adapt flexibly, and we are confident that this momentum will continue in 2021 by continuing to work closely with our customers to meet the demand for high-quality sustainable products in the Chinese market."

Investing in digital solutions opens new markets for BASF. Basf has partnered with Alibaba to create a C2M (consumer-to-manufacturer) business model for the chemical industry, and has also launched a variety of product lines on its 1688 official flagship store with the help of Alibaba's B2B e-commerce platform. "In the future, we will have more sustainable products and solutions available on the e-commerce platform, and we expect the e-commerce business to grow further," said Dr. Zheng Daqing.