BASF invests in new Excellence Center for its Hygiene Business

• Investment at Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium will strengthen product development for superabsorbent polymers
• Digitization to increase product performance and shorten time-to-market
• Production plant in Mannheim, Germany will be closed

BASF will increase innovation capabilities for its superabsorbent polymer business by building a state-of-the-art Superabsorbents Excellence Center at its Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium. The €25 million investment is a clear commitment of the company to the hygiene business as an important part of its acrylics value chain.

BASF aims to equip the new pilot plant with latest data collection and sensor technology to accelerate the scale-up process from product development to production scale. After introducing applied robotics for automated sample testing in its development labs, the implementation of advanced modeling is the next step in BASF’s digitization roadmap for its superabsorbent business. The applied technology will be key to further increase product performance. The proximity of the new pilot plant to BASF’s superabsorbent production in Antwerp will shorten time-to-market.

To optimize its production network, the superabsorbent production facility in Mannheim, Germany will be closed. Due to an unfavorable market development and a challenging cost structure, the plant with a capacity of 25 kt/a can no longer be operated economically. All affected employees will be offered new positions in BASF SE. Commercial production of the Mannheim plant will be phased out and moved stepwise to other BASF sites, predominantly to the world-scale plant in Antwerp.

“In a highly competitive market environment, we strive to be a strong and forward-thinking partner to our customers in the baby, adult and feminine hygiene market offering innovative and sustainable solutions,” says Dr. Wolfgang Kanther, Vice President, Global Marketing & Strategy Acrylics Value Chain.

About BASF’s Hygiene Business

BASF is a leading producer of superabsorbent polymers globally. With its brands HySorb^® and SAVIVA^®, BASF is a leading partner to the global Hygiene industry, developing and producing superabsorbent polymers used in various hygiene applications such as baby diapers, adult incontinence products and feminine hygiene articles. Further information at hygiene.basf.com.

BASF has a broad market access and a global production footprint for superabsorbent polymers. Operations are deeply integrated in BASF’s Verbund structures, enabling the company to leverage the full potential of its acrylics value chain.

About BASF

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. More than 110,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €59 billion in 2020. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.

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