BASF Opens Engineering Plastics Innovation Center in Korea

Strengthening Engineering Plastic Research and Development (R&D) Capabilities

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] BASF Korea is strengthening its research and development (R&D) capabilities for 'engineering plastics' used in automobiles, home appliances, and other sectors, while also expanding sales of related products such as Ultramid.

On the 2nd, BASF Korea announced the opening of a new R&D facility called the 'Engineering Plastics Innovation Center (EPIC Korea·Innovation Center)' in Ansan. The newly established Innovation Center was created by integrating BASF’s existing R&D team with the polyamide business unit of Solvay, which BASF recently acquired. Additionally, the 'Consumer Electronics Innovation Center (CECC)' has been incorporated.

This move is interpreted as BASF’s intention to further strengthen its R&D capabilities and sales in the Asia-Pacific region. The Innovation Center can conduct material testing on a wide range of polymer materials including polyamide (PA), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polyoxymethylene (POM). It also designs new testing methods to provide more detailed support for customer projects and has enhanced its capabilities in flame retardant and colorant product development. Notably, it is equipped to respond to market demands in e-mobility and the electrical & electronics (E&E) sectors.

The Innovation Center has increased efficiency by integrating each R&D team along with their innovation capabilities and new material evaluation teams into a single organization. Furthermore, through synergy with the R&D team based in Shanghai, it plans to supply products and application technologies more efficiently to countries within the Asian region.

In particular, the R&D capabilities for 'Ultramid' have been strengthened. Ultramid is an engineering plastic material mainly used in consumer electronics, automobiles, and medical devices, with most Ultramid demand companies concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region.

A notable aspect of the Innovation Center’s opening is the installation of the 'Consumer Electronics Innovation Center (CECC)' for the first time in Korea. CECC is characterized by combining product development, state-of-the-art quality control systems, product testing, and mixed reality experiences. It establishes a one-stop advanced manufacturing ecosystem that supports material solutions for next-generation innovations of consumer electronics brands and OEM companies. Through this, customers can directly experience the production of advanced end-to-end material solutions using CECC’s technical equipment.

Andy Postlethwaite, Head of Functional Materials Business for BASF Asia-Pacific, stated, "The new Innovation Center, EPIC Korea, clearly demonstrates BASF’s commitment to supporting customers’ development of innovative solutions. We will leverage the extensive expertise of the integrated business unit to develop more innovative, customer-centric material solutions and strive to undertake more projects with our customers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.