The Surface Treatment global business unit of BASF’s Coatings division, operating under the Chemetall brand, has opened its first regional innovation and technology center for applied surface treatment technology in Shanghai, China. The new 2,600-square-meter center will focus on developing advanced surface treatment solutions and product innovations for a wide range of industries and market segments in Asia.

“The opening of this Innovation and Technology Center is an important pillar of our growth strategy and strengthens our technical and innovation capabilities in Asia Pacific. It shows our commitment to further contribute to and support the long-term success of our customers in the fastest-growing region,” said Christophe Cazabeau, senior vice president, Surface Treatment, Coatings Division, BASF.

“Innovation is key to powering growth for BASF. This new center’s ability to develop customized surface treatment solutions closer to the market will further underpin our technology leadership and our customers’ success,” said Jeffrey Lou, Ph.D., president and chairman, BASF Greater China.

Equipped with multiple technical capabilities and operated by a highly experienced technology team, the new laboratories can provide a comprehensive range of tests and services, including analytical, application, salt spray, and climate testing, as well as developmental work on a range of applied surface treatment technologies and applications for various market segments, including automotive OEM and components, coil, general industry, cold forming, aerospace, aluminum finishing, glass, and more. The center also runs various state-of-the-art simulation lines for pre-treatment and coating processes, including VIANT, a novel coating technology for corrosion protection.

“Our regional innovation and technology center will help to accelerate our speed-to-market of cutting-edge surface treatment solutions, drive customer-centric product development and expand our innovation pipeline. As an integrated technical hub, it can harness the synergies and  competencies within our existing global network, as well as our local surface treatment analytical labs in Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand, to better serve the rising market demand for innovative and sustainable solutions in Asia,” said Mubarik Chowdhry, Ph.D., head of Global Technology, Surface Treatment, Coatings Division, BASF.

For more information, visit: www.basf.com.