This photo, provided by BASF Korea on Nov. 2, 2021, shows its new research and development (R&D) center, located in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, about 42 kilometers southwest of Seoul.
SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — German chemical giant BASF S.E. said Tuesday it opened a new research and development (R&D) center in South Korea for engineering plastics that are widely used in automotive and consumer electronics, as part of an expansion in the Asian market.
The Engineering Plastics Innovation Center Korea, or EPIC Korea, in Ansan, about 42 kilometers southwest of Seoul, combines its existing R&D team and the expertise of Solvay’s polyamide business, which it recently acquired from the Belgian chemical firm, BASF said.
The new facility will carry out various tests on a wide range of polymers, including polyamide (PA), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and polyoxymethylene (POM) — synthetic plastics used in cars, e-mobility vehicles, printers, game consoles and smartwatches.
“The new facility is a clear signal of our commitment to support our customers in developing innovative solutions,” Andy Postlethwaite, senior vice president of BASF’s Performance Materials Asia Pacific, said in a press conference.
“We work with the likes of Samsung, we work with LG. We work with Hyundai on the development materials for the future to serve the needs of the Korean customer and Korean market,” he said.
BASF Korea said the new research center also plans to work with the R&D team in Shanghai so as to provide improved products and advanced technologies to other Asian countries.
BASF Group’s business stretches from chemicals, materials and surface technologies to nutrition and agriculture solutions, with more than 110,000 employees around the world. BASF posted sales of 59 billion euros (US$68.4 billion) in 2020.
(Yonhap)
