BASF is reorganizing its global research activities and Detlef Kratz, President, will lead the new central division, which will have around 3,500 employees.

In the course of the second quarter of 2022, they will be bundled in a central research unit based in Ludwigshafen.

Kratz currently heads BASF’s Process Research & Chemical Engineering division in Ludwigshafen. At the same time, around 1,800 researchers will move to operating divisions – and thus work even more closely with the business units.

This will further strengthen the customer focus of research and development. Details on the future global structure of BASF’s research will be announced by the company at a later date.

Jianfeng Jeffrey Lou, President, Advanced Materials & Systems Research, BASF Advanced Chemicals Co., Ltd., Shanghai, will take over as Head of Greater China, BASF (China) Company Ltd., Shanghai, on January 1, 2022.

Stephan Kothrade, President, Greater China, BASF (China) Company Ltd., Shanghai, will take over as Head of the Intermediates division, Ludwigshafen, Germany, on the same date.

The current head of the division, Andrea Frenzel, President, will take a sabbatical at her own request.