Together with seven leading universities and research institutes in China, Japan, and South Korea, BASF has established the research initiative “Network for Advanced Materials Open Research” (NAO). It aims to cooperate in developing new materials for a wide range of applications. The initial focus is on products for the automotive, construction, detergent and cleaners industries as well as the water and wind energy industries.

The Beijing University of Chemical Technology, the Beijing Institute of Technology, the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Fudan University, all China, Hanyang University, South Korea, Kyoto University, and Tsinghua University, both Japan, are participating in NAO. The researchers are being supported and advised by a scientific committee comprising six independent professors and scientists from BASF. Dr. Sébastien Garnier, located in Shanghai, heads the research network.

The cooperation has a long-term focus, with ideas and projects developed and established jointly by the partners. Examples of initial research projects which already have been launched are the development of a modelling tool to predict the aging properties of composite systems used in the wind industry at Hanyang University and the development of novel coating systems based on hybrid materials at Fudan University.

BASF plans to conduct 50 % of its research activities by 2020 outside of Europe, one quarter in Asia Pacific. It has already launched similar networks: the “Joint Research Network on Advanced Materials and Systems” (JONAS) in Europe and the “North America Center for Research on Advanced Materials” (NORA).

• BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany
• Network for Advanced Materials Open Research (NAO)

^{Image: From left to right: Dr. Jens Rieger, Senior Vice President Advanced Materials and Systems Research, Technology incubation, BASF; Prof. YongFeng Men, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry; Prof. Kookheon Char, Seoul National University; Prof. Bogeng Li, Zhejiang University; Dr. Christian Fischer, President Advanced Materials & Systems Research, BASF; Dr. Sebastien Garnier, Senior Manager, Scouting and Open Research Center Asia Pacific; Dr. Karl-Rudolf Kurtz, Research Representative Asia Pacific and Senior Vice President Research Polyurethanes & Composites, BASF; Dr. Albert Heuser, President and Chairman of BASF Greater China and President Functions Asia Pacific; Prof. Mitsuo Sawamoto, Kyoto University; Dr. Piyada Charoensirisomboon, Vice President BASF Innovation Campus Asia Pacific; Prof. Zhenzhong Yang, Beijing Institute of Chemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Prof. Limin Wu, Fudan University}