BASF puts a new R&D centre into operations at its Crop Protection division’s headquarters in Limburgerhof, Germany.
By housing two promising and well-connected research areas — biological crop protection and seed solutions — the center will be a hub of expertise for solutions in chemistry and biology to farmers around the globe, according to the company.
As a result, BASF says it is boosting its potential to develop innovations beyond classical crop protection.
“Our investment in this expanded capacity is a step forward to unlocking the agricultural potential in seeds and crops in different and untapped ways”, said Philipp Rosendorfer, Vice President, R&D Functional Crop Care for BASF’s Crop Protection division.
The research on biological solutions, which consists of naturally occurring organisms or extracts thereof, provides opportunities to complement BASF’s chemical crop protection. Moreover, the combination between chemistry and biology generates a new range of pioneering solutions for seed treatment, he adds.
“With BASF’s unique skills in research and state-of-the art formulations, we are one of a few companies that can provide a seed treatment with a mixture of both biological and chemical compounds. This means farmers can have a well-protected and strengthened crop right from the beginning of its life.”
The new R&D center will boost BASF’s global network of R&D sites as well as trial centers in all regions that are dedicated to developing seed solutions and biologicals-based crop protection, including Brazil, Argentina, France, UK, South Africa, China, Australia, U.S., and Canada.
The opening was held after a morning press conference, which included 81 journalists from 25 countries. The topic was shaping the future of global agriculture, and BASF took the opportunity to note that global trends that require food production and food quality to increase remain unchanged.
“Farmers’ task to feed a growing, wealthier and more demanding population will not get easier – the need for new technologies, like ours, will continue to be high,” stated BASF Crop Protection division president Markus Heldt.
To serve farmers best and grow in this market, BASF will continue to heavily invest in R&D, strengthen its pipeline of innovations and engage in partnerships to speed up the development of new technologies. “We will increase our global footprint while securing our business profitability and long-term success. We believe that customer focus and agility, not size alone, are key factors for future business growth, as farmers’ demands are rapidly changing.”
