News & Media
Innovation Collaboration Day 2023
BASF invited applications from start-up enterprises and early-stage companies with innovative technologies to explore opportunities for collaboration. Shortlisted applicants were invited to pitch. Experts were excited by the strength, quality and variety of the projects.
BY EMMA GREGORY
An expert panel from BASF played host to 12 start-up enterprises, keen to discuss their innovative technologies and explore opportunities for collaboration at BASF’s Innovation Collaboration Day, held on 30-31 October 2023 in London. Early-stage companies were encouraged to apply and shortlisted businesses were invited to pitch their concepts to a rigorous and challenging team of BASF colleagues.
Today more than ever before, we are looking for answers to problems like climate change, scarcity of resources and nature restoration. And given the transformative action that is needed to tackle these challenges, it is becoming clear that the solutions will be found through partnership. As one of the most innovative chemical companies in the world, we know that chemistry will be key to this.
Applications were divided into five Innovation Categories (known as Clusters) that have a focus on sustainability: Carbon Capture and Utilisation; Green Energy Solutions; Agro Innovation; Circular Economy and Wildcard Solutions.
Commercial Director, BASF UK & Ireland, Darren Budd commented, “The UK is an attractive hub for innovation and R&D in sustainable solutions. BASF’s Innovation Collaboration Day aims to create a space for effective communication and the development of partnerships with innovators and the local start-up community working for a sustainable future.”
Vice President BASF UK & Ireland, Thomas Birk commented, “I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to submit an application and congratulate all our shortlisted participants. From innovative battery materials to CO2 utilisation technologies, we have been delighted at the strength and quality of the entries and are excited about the variety of the shortlisted projects.”
BASF Innovation Collaboration Day expert panel are joined by colleagues from the organising team
The event is an opportunity for BASF to explore potential business opportunities in key areas of sustainability, and for the start-up community to benefit from networking with BASF representatives and other key innovators.
BASF in the UK has a strong track record in supporting R&D, from working with partners on new packaging solutions and carbon utilisation to supporting research in novel manufacturing approaches with academic institutions. We hope that the Innovation Collaboration Day will provide an opportunity to further explore innovative solutions in sustainability.
The BASF panel members will look to identify any areas of potential future collaboration.
A word from the candidates
We asked our shortlisted candidates what they thought of the event and why they had entered this year's Innovation Collaboration Day.
Take a look at some of their responses below.
All photographs and quotes are given with the participants' consent. By publishing the photographs and quotes, BASF acknowledges the teams that were shortlisted for Innovation Collaboration Day 2023. The inclusion of this material does not guarantee an ongoing partnership with BASF.
For media enquiries or to repurpose this article, please contact Emma Gregory at emma.gregory@basf.com
Published 29 November 2023