BASF Creates New Global Business Unit to Advance Battery Activities for Electromobility
In recognition of the significant growth opportunity associated with the global battery marketplace, BASF is creating a new global business unit that will bring together its current and future battery-related electromobility activities – BASF.com.
As part of this transition, a new global business unit "Battery Materials" will be formed, effective January 1, 2012. This business unit will integrate the existing battery activities of BASF’s Catalysts division, which is focused on cathode materials development; its Intermediates division, which is focused on electrolyte formulations, and BASF Future Business GmbH, which is focused on next-generation lithium battery opportunities. This operating consolidation will take place throughout the first half of 2012, leveraging the collaborative efforts of each of these business teams to ensure a seamless migration for BASF and its market constituents.
"The creation of the global operating unit Battery Materials will allow us to take a more integrated, solutions-oriented approach to serving battery manufacturers, leveraging our resources and expertise in a unified and focused manner," said Dr. Andreas Kreimeyer, member of the Board of Executive Directors and Research Executive Director of BASF SE.
The new Battery Materials unit will be integrated into the Catalysts division and led by Ralf Meixner, who is with BASF for 29 years and currently serves as Vice President, Business Management, Industrial Petrochemicals Europe. Effective January 1, 2012, Mr. Meixner will assume the role of BASF Senior Vice President, Battery Materials, and become part of the company’s Catalysts division leadership team, based in Iselin, New Jersey. "As the world’s leading chemical provider to the global automotive industry, there are significant opportunities for BASF in the battery materials space," said Frank Bozich, President of BASF’s Catalysts division. "I look forward to bringing together our team of battery materials experts under the leadership of Ralf Meixner to build an exciting new growth business for the future."
Batteries are the key technology for electromobility of the future. Over the next five years, BASF will invest a three-digit million euro sum in researching, developing and the production of battery materials. As well as developing materials for lithium-ion batteries, which include solutions for anodes and separators, the company is also researching future battery concepts such as lithium-sulfur or lithium-air. With its research activities BASF is substantially contributing to making electric cars affordable, environment-friendly and sustainable. "For this we need batteries and further innovative components that provide a greater driving range with less weight and lower costs," said Kreimeyer.
