BASF SE

BASF SE is a German multinational chemical company headquartered in Ludwigshafen. Its name derives from Badische Anilin- und Sodafabrik, or Baden Aniline and Soda Factory, the business established by Friedrich Engelhorn in 1865. The company began by manufacturing aniline dyes and the chemicals required to produce them, then expanded into a broad portfolio of industrial materials, intermediates, coatings, catalysts, agricultural products, nutrition ingredients and performance chemicals. The company’s early development was closely linked to advances in synthetic chemistry. BASF recruited chemist Heinrich Caro, whose work helped establish commercial processes for dyes including alizarin, methylene blue and eosin. Research into sulfuric acid production and other industrial processes improved the efficiency and scale of its operations. The most consequential turning point came through the commercialization of ammonia synthesis based on the Haber process. Working with Fritz Haber’s process and Carl Bosch’s industrial engineering, BASF began ammonia production at Oppau in 1913. This created a foundation for fertilizers and large-scale nitrogen chemistry while helping transform BASF from a dye producer into an integrated chemical manufacturer. In 1925, BASF joined Bayer, Hoechst and other German chemical companies to form IG Farben. The conglomerate became deeply involved in the economy and war production of Nazi Germany. Its history includes the use of forced labor and the production of Zyklon B by an IG Farben affiliate for the Nazi extermination system. IG Farben was dissolved by the Allied authorities after the Second World War, and BASF was re-established as an independent company in 1952. The company has acknowledged the need to address this history, which remains an important part of its institutional record. Postwar growth broadened BASF’s activities into synthetic fibers, plastics, polystyrene, fertilizers, coatings, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other higher-value products. International expansion accelerated from the 1960s onward, with production and commercial operations established across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Africa. BASF also pursued acquisitions to strengthen coatings, construction chemicals, catalysts, nutrition, pest management, agricultural seeds and crop-protection products. Major transactions included Engelhard, Ciba, Cognis and selected agricultural assets acquired from Bayer. BASF organizes its business around major areas including Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. Its customers include manufacturers in automotive, transportation, construction, electronics, packaging, consumer goods, food, personal care, pharmaceuticals and farming. Products are often supplied as ingredients, intermediates, formulations, resins, polymers, catalysts or process materials rather than as consumer-facing finished goods. The company historically marketed consumer electronics under the BASF name, but largely exited that activity during the 1990s. The group operates a network of integrated production sites and other facilities in more than 80 countries and serves customers in more than 190 countries. Its integrated Verbund model links chemical plants so that energy, feedstocks and by-products can be used across multiple production chains. This approach is central to BASF’s operating model and is intended to improve resource efficiency and manufacturing economics. At the same time, the company faces scrutiny over greenhouse-gas emissions, energy consumption, hazardous substances, chemical-safety incidents, labor conditions in supply chains and its historical environmental record. In the 2020s, BASF has emphasized cost control, portfolio management, lower-carbon production and expansion in China. High European energy prices contributed to plans to reduce capacity and employment at Ludwigshafen, including the planned closure of one amm…

BASF was founded on 6 April 1865 by Friedrich Engelhorn in Mannheim, in the German state of Baden. Engelhorn had operated a gasworks and recognized that coal-tar by-products could provide aniline, a raw material for synthetic dyes. Because Mannheim authorities were concerned about pollution, the principal works were built across the Rhine in Ludwigshafen. The site soon became the company’s enduring industrial center. During its first decades, BASF concentrated on synthetic dyes and the acids, alkalis and other chemicals needed to manufacture them. Heinrich Caro became an important early research leader, helping develop commercial methods for alizarin and other dyes. BASF later introduced processes for methylene blue and eosin, while research into indigo eventually led to commercial production in the late nineteenth century. The business also improved sulfuric-acid manufacturing through the contact process, reducing costs and increasing concentration. The industrialization of ammonia synthesis changed BASF’s scale and strategic importance. Fritz Haber developed the underlying chemical process, while Carl Bosch and BASF engineers adapted it for industrial production. BASF began operating an ammonia plant at Oppau in 1913. Ammonia supported fertilizer production and enabled expansion into nitrogen chemistry. During the First World War, BASF also operated the Leuna site, where products including explosives were manufactured. In 1921, a major explosion at Oppau killed hundreds of people and exposed the risks of large-scale chemical production. In 1925, BASF merged with Bayer, Hoechst and other German chemical companies to create IG Farben. The conglomerate expanded into synthetic rubber, fuels, coatings and other sectors. During the Nazi period, IG Farben cooperated with the regime and used forced labor. Its Auschwitz chemical project and the production of Zyklon B by an affiliated company are inseparable from the history of the Holocaust. Allied authorities dissolved IG Farben after the war. BASF’s Ludwigshafen and Oppau works had also suffered extensive bombing damage, and a serious explosion at Ludwigshafen in 1948 caused further deaths and injuries. BASF was re-established as an independent company in 1952. During West Germany’s postwar economic recovery, it expanded into plastics and synthetic materials. Polystyrene production and the development of the Styropor brand helped establish BASF in insulation and packaging applications. From the 1960s, BASF internationalized its manufacturing network, building or acquiring operations in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia and elsewhere. Its strategic focus increasingly shifted from commodity dyes toward higher-value coatings, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, fertilizers, plastics and specialty chemicals. The company pursued numerous acquisitions and divestitures from the late twentieth century onward. It acquired businesses in coatings, construction chemicals, catalysts, pest management, nutrition and care ingredients, and specialty chemicals. It purchased Engelhard in 2006, Ciba in 2009 and Cognis in 2010. It sold its European coatings business to AkzoNobel in 1999 and later divested selected businesses such as pigments and ultrafiltration membranes. Agricultural activities expanded through the purchase of seed and herbicide assets from Bayer in 2017. BASF’s modern operating model is based on a global, integrated production network. Its Verbund system connects plants so that feedstocks, energy and by-products can be shared across production chains. The company supplies customers in more than 190 countries through subsidiaries, joint ventures, production sites and sales organizations. Major activities include chemicals, materials, industrial solutions, surface technologies, nutrition and care, and agricultural solutions. Recent strategy has been shaped by energy costs, climate policy, supply-chain risk and growth in Asian markets. BASF announced a major integrated site in Zhanjiang, China, with initial production beginning in the 2020s and further construction planned. At the same time, high European energy prices led to restructuring and planned capacity reductions at Ludwigshafen, including the closure of an ammonia plant. BASF continues to pursue lower-emission production and portfolio optimization while remaining exposed to the environmental, safety and social controversies associated with large-scale chemical manufacturing.

1. 2023Ludwigshafen restructuring announced

   BASF announces closure of one Ludwigshafen ammonia plant as part of a cost-reduction program.

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2. 2019Zhanjiang investment announced

   BASF announces a large integrated chemical investment in Zhanjiang, China.

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3. 2017Bayer agricultural-assets acquisition

   BASF agrees to acquire selected seed and herbicide operations from Bayer.

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4. 2010Cognis acquisition completed

   BASF completes its acquisition of Cognis, expanding nutrition and care ingredients.

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5. 2009Ciba acquisition completed

   BASF completes the acquisition of Ciba after competition review.

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6. 2006Engelhard acquisition

   BASF acquires Engelhard, strengthening its catalysts and specialty-materials portfolio.

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7. 1990Schwarzheide site acquired

   BASF acquires the Schwarzheide site in eastern Germany following reunification.

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8. 1952BASF is re-established

   BASF is reconstituted as an independent company after the Allied dissolution of IG Farben.

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9. 1951Styropor is developed

   BASF develops its Styropor expanded-polystyrene product, later used widely in insulation and packaging.

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10. 1925BASF joins IG Farben

    BASF merges with several major German chemical companies to form IG Farben.

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11. 1921Oppau explosion

    A catastrophic explosion at Oppau kills hundreds and becomes a landmark industrial accident in Germany.

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12. 1913Ammonia production begins at Oppau

    BASF industrializes ammonia synthesis based on the Haber-Bosch process.

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13. 1890Contact-process sulfuric acid plant

    BASF brings a more efficient contact-process sulfuric acid unit into operation.

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14. 1869Commercial alizarin process

    Heinrich Caro develops a synthesis for alizarin, an important red textile dye.

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15. 1866Production moves to Ludwigshafen

    Dye manufacturing is transferred from Mannheim to the company’s new works in Ludwigshafen.

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16. 1865BASF is founded

    Friedrich Engelhorn establishes Badische Anilin- und Sodafabrik, initially focused on synthetic dyes and related chemicals.

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A global, science-led chemical solutions provider whose integrated production network supplies materials, intermediates and formulations to many downstream industries, with increasing emphasis on sustainability and resource efficiency.

• UltramidEngineering plastics

  Ultramid is BASF’s brand family for engineering plastics, including polyamide-based materials used in automotive components, electrical and electronic parts, industrial equipment and consumer products. These materials are selected for strength, heat resistance, dimensional stability and processability, allowing manufacturers to replace some metal components or create lightweight molded parts.

• StyroporExpanded polystyrene1951

  Styropor is BASF’s expanded-polystyrene product family. It is used primarily in thermal insulation, construction systems, protective packaging and other applications requiring lightweight cellular material. The product became one of BASF’s best-known historical brands and helped establish the company’s postwar position in synthetic materials.

• Polyurethane systemsPerformance materials

  BASF supplies polyurethane raw materials and formulated systems for rigid and flexible foams, insulation, furniture, footwear, refrigeration, automotive components and construction. The offering includes chemical building blocks, system solutions and technical support tailored to downstream processors rather than a single consumer product.

• Agricultural SolutionsCrop protection and agricultural products

  BASF’s Agricultural Solutions business supplies crop-protection products and, following selected acquisitions, seeds and herbicide-related offerings. Its portfolio addresses weeds, insects, fungal diseases and crop productivity across major farming markets. Products are sold through agricultural distribution channels and supported by agronomic services and application guidance.

• Catalysts and emissions-control systemsSurface technologies

  BASF develops catalysts and related systems for chemical processing, refining and emissions control. These technologies help industrial customers convert feedstocks, improve process performance and reduce selected pollutants from vehicles and industrial operations. The business grew through internal research and acquisitions including Engelhard.

• Nutrition and care ingredientsSpecialty chemicals

  This portfolio includes ingredients and formulation components for human and animal nutrition, personal care, home care and related consumer-product applications. BASF generally supplies business customers with functional ingredients, additives and intermediates that contribute to stability, texture, preservation, sensory properties or nutritional performance.

• We create chemistry for a sustainable future

  Global

  BASF has used sustainability-centered corporate communications to position chemistry as an enabler of lower-resource products, renewable-energy systems, efficient agriculture and lower-carbon manufacturing.

  Outcome. Ongoing corporate positioning

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• 2023Ludwigshafen cost-reduction programStrategy

  High European energy costs and difficult market conditions pressured BASF’s Ludwigshafen operations.

  What changed. BASF announced the planned closure of one of its two ammonia plants at Ludwigshafen and broader reductions affecting the site.

  Aftermath. The plan was expected to reduce production capacity and employment while shifting some growth and investment toward China.

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• 2019Zhanjiang Verbund siteStrategy

  BASF sought to expand integrated production in China and serve regional electronics and automotive demand.

  What changed. The company announced a major investment in an integrated chemical site in Zhanjiang, later approved in 2022.

  Aftermath. Initial construction and plant start-ups proceeded during the 2020s, with the broader site planned for phased completion.

  Announced investment. US$10 billion (2019 announcement)

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• 2017Acquisition of Bayer seed and herbicide businessesM&A

  Bayer was divesting selected agricultural assets in connection with its acquisition of Monsanto.

  What changed. BASF agreed to purchase seed and herbicide businesses from Bayer.

  Aftermath. The transaction expanded BASF’s agricultural portfolio beyond crop-protection chemistry.

  Announced purchase price. €5.9 billion (2017)

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• 2006Engelhard acquisitionM&A

  BASF sought to expand its catalysts and specialty-materials capabilities.

  What changed. BASF acquired Engelhard.

  Aftermath. The transaction broadened BASF’s catalysts and performance-materials activities.

  Purchase price. $4.8 billion (2006)

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• 1925Formation of IG FarbenM&A

  German chemical companies sought greater scale and integration across dyes, fertilizers, fuels, rubber and related products.

  What changed. BASF combined with Bayer, Hoechst and other companies to form IG Farben.

  Aftermath. BASF lost its independent identity until IG Farben was dissolved and BASF was re-established after the Second World War.

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• 2016Supply-chain scrutiny linked to Xinjiang partnershipControversy

  BASF’s partnership involving a subsidiary of Xinjiang Zhongtai Group has drawn scrutiny because of the partner’s connection to a region and company subject to forced-labor concerns and sanctions-related restrictions.

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• 1984Geismar labor dispute and chemical-safety criticismControversy

  A prolonged labor dispute at BASF’s Geismar, Louisiana, plant involved a worker lockout and union allegations concerning accidental releases of hazardous gases. The dispute lasted several years and attracted legal and public scrutiny.

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• 1940IG Farben’s Nazi-era forced labor and Zyklon B historyControversy

  BASF’s predecessor within IG Farben participated in the Nazi war economy, used forced labor and was connected through an affiliate to the production of Zyklon B used in the Holocaust. IG Farben was dissolved after the war.

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• 1921Oppau explosionControversy

  A fertilizer-related explosion at BASF’s Oppau site killed hundreds of people and injured thousands, becoming one of the most serious industrial accidents in German history.

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• 2025BASF agrees to sell coatings business to Carlyle-managed funds while retaining a minority stake

  BASF announced an agreement concerning its automotive OEM coatings, refinish coatings and surface-treatment activities. The transaction was described as subject to customary regulatory approvals and expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, with BASF retaining 40 percent.

  M&A
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• 2025BASF reflects on the IG Farben legacy

  BASF’s corporate-history materials discuss the company’s predecessor relationship with IG Farben, the incomplete state of historical research and the evolution from limited public discussion toward reassessment and historical responsibility.

  Other
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• 2025BASF and Carlyle agree transaction for coatings business

  BASF agreed to transfer its automotive OEM coatings, refinish coatings and surface-treatment businesses to a Carlyle-led investment structure involving Qatar Investment Authority, subject to regulatory approval.

  M&A
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• 2025BASF presents Agricultural Solutions management board

  BASF announced a management structure for its planned standalone agricultural business and identified Livio Tedeschi as its incoming management-board leader.

  Leadership change
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• 2025Heather Remley appointed CEO of BASF Corporation

  Heather Remley was appointed president and CEO of BASF Corporation, leading the company’s North American affiliate.

  Leadership change
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• 2024BASF completes acquisition of an MDI production plant and associated precursor facilities

  BASF completed the acquisition of one of two MDI plants, together with aniline and nitrobenzene precursor facilities and production employees.

  M&AOther
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• 2024BASF announces planned Agricultural Solutions listing preparation

  BASF announced preparations for a potential partial IPO of Agricultural Solutions and set a target of achieving IPO readiness by 2027 while retaining majority ownership if the transaction proceeds.

  M&A
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• 2023BASF plans Ludwigshafen ammonia-capacity reduction

  BASF announced plans to close one of two ammonia plants at Ludwigshafen amid high European energy costs and a broader cost-reduction program.

  Bankruptcy
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• 2023BASF breaks ground on Zhanjiang syngas plant

  The company began construction of a syngas plant at its Zhanjiang site as part of the planned integrated chemical complex.

  Product launch
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• 2022BASF launches We Love EVs campaign

  A campaign presented electric vehicles as an area where chemistry can support emissions reduction and further technological development.

  CampaignOther
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• 2019BASF agrees to sell global pigments business to DIC

  BASF agreed to divest its global pigments business to Japan-based DIC as part of portfolio management.

  M&A
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• 2019BASF announces major Zhanjiang Verbund investment

  BASF announced a large integrated production investment in Zhanjiang, China, focused on materials and products serving electronics and automotive customers.

  Other
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• 2018BASF and LetterOne combine Wintershall and DEA businesses

  BASF and LetterOne signed an agreement to combine their respective oil and gas businesses into Wintershall Dea, creating a separately structured energy joint venture.

  M&A
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• 2017BASF acquires agricultural assets from Bayer

  BASF agreed to acquire seed and herbicide businesses from Bayer as part of the divestitures connected with Bayer’s Monsanto acquisition.

  M&A
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• 2010BASF completes acquisition of Cognis

  The company completed its purchase of Cognis, strengthening nutrition, personal-care and specialty-ingredients activities.

  M&A
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• 2009BASF completes acquisition of Ciba

  BASF completed its acquisition of Ciba after regulatory review, expanding its portfolio in specialty chemicals and performance products.

  M&A
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• 2008BASF changes legal form to European company

  The company adopted the legal form of a European Company and has since been known legally as BASF SE.

  Other
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• 1974BASF signs UK distribution arrangement with Decca

  BASF and British Decca agreed on UK pressing, release, and distribution for BASF records and prerecorded cassettes.

  Other
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• 1973Cindy and Bert and Freddy Breck reach German and Dutch charts

  BASF releases by Cindy and Bert and Freddy Breck appeared in German and Dutch chart reports, giving the label visible commercial momentum.

  Product generation
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• 1972BASF establishes North American label contacts

  BASF Systems in the United States and BASF Canada were identified as regional contacts for the label's North American activities.

  Other
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• 1971BASF prepares to enter the record business

  Trade coverage reported that BASF was preparing a record label and seeking pressing and distribution arrangements for records and tapes.

  Product launch
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• 1971BASF launches its German record label

  BASF Records made its German debut with a catalogue assembled by producers including Werner Cyprys and Sigrid Volkmann.

  Product launch
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• 1971BASF expands into prerecorded tapes

  The company announced an expansion into prerecorded tapes, using MPS repertoire and a catalogue of more than 200 recordings.

  Product launch
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• 1970BASF develops a quadraphonic catalogue

  During the 1970s, BASF issued quadraphonic titles as part of its experimentation with multichannel home audio.

  Product launchProduct generation
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• BASF coatings business sale receives European Commission approval

  The European Commission approved the proposed sale of BASF’s coatings division to Carlyle subject to a related divestment condition concerning Nouryon’s polysulfides business.

  M&ARegulation
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1. BASF
2. IG Farben
3. Oppau explosion
4. BASF corporate website
5. Styropor is developed
6. Beaufort County plant controversy
7. IG Farben’s cooperation with the Nazi regime and forced labor
8. BASF agrees to sell coatings business to Carlyle-managed funds while retaining a minority stake
9. BASF and Carlyle agree transaction for coatings business
10. BASF presents Agricultural Solutions management board
11. Heather Remley appointed CEO of BASF Corporation
12. BASF completes acquisition of an MDI production plant and associated precursor facilities
13. BASF announces planned Agricultural Solutions listing preparation
14. BASF launches We Love EVs campaign
15. BASF and LetterOne combine Wintershall and DEA businesses
16. BASF changes legal form to European company
17. BASF与Decca签署英国发行协议
18. BASF coatings business sale receives European Commission approval