Driving Innovation

We drive innovation by developing new surface solutions, processes and markets. We identify and develop new business opportunities for us and our customers.

Globally, we are developing the coatings and surface solutions of the future providing high scratch-resistance, protection from environmental impact, improved corrosion protection and innovative color solutions. We make sustainability part of our DNA, and constantly support solutions towards climate protection, eco-efficient technologies and safe chemicals.

Our “Innovation Beyond Paint” program aims at developing new markets and businesses. As part of BASF's integrated research platform, we channel international collaboration among our large sites for research and development in Europe, Asia, North and South America. Our integrated research approach within the BASF Group and our global research network reinforce our competitive edge.

Nature as a role model

SharkSkin Technology

Nature as a role model

BASF demonstrated how closely chemistry and sustainability are linked at its research press conference on December 1. Dr. Sebastian Hartwig, head of Functional Films FunTex, presented NovaFlex SharkSkin, a surface film that mimics the fine structure of shark skin and improves the aerodynamics of aircraft.

Research Press Conference 2023

nationalities work for Research & Development.

40%

of them are women.

Innovation Beyond Paint

With our innovative technologies we create solutions which shape the future supporting new markets and addressing megatrends.

Learn more about our "Innovation Beyond Paint" program

From the idea to the standard – milestones of our innovations

Our innovations, like waterborne basecoats, shortened paint processes and highly scratch-resistant clearcoats, set benchmarks and establish new standards. We constantly improve our processes, develop new coatings and optimize our products for functional and environmental excellence.

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Employee of a body shop looking at a screen displaying the new digital platform Refinity.

2021 – Cloud-based platform for body shops

Launching Refinity, BASF is the first company in the global refinish market offering a single digital platform that combines a number of different software solutions into one secure, easy-to-use cloud-based solution. Refinity provides body shops with a seamless digital experience designed to drive efficiency in all areas of business performance, including color, inventory management, repair order management, training, and support. The platform also features links to trusted partners to further drive profitability and efficiency into the overall body shop process.

Refinity

The new refinish product line meets the highest expectations of modern body shops

2020 – New waterborne basecoat line

Being the pioneer in waterborne coatings solutions for the automotive industry, BASF’s Coatings division now presents its new, most advanced refinish product line. By increasing the efficiency and significantly lowering the environmental impact, the products meet the highest expectations of modern body shops. The innovative formulation optimizes the processing properties for fast and efficient application and enables spray painters to produce highly efficient and at the same time environmentally friendly refinishing results.

2018 – Biomassed refinish products

BASF’s Coatings division has launched new product lines in Europe for its Glasurit^® and R-M® refinish paint brands that make automotive refinishing more sustainable. They are the world’s first refinish products manufactured according to the certified biomass balance approach, therefore contributing to reduce CO₂ emissions.

2018 – Photo-realistic virtual car colors

With AUROOM^®, BASF’s Coatings division introduces a digital platform which enables OEM designers to access a database of photo-realistic virtual car colors. BASF’s virtual colors capture all facets of automotive coatings including lightness flop, color flop and sparkling. By mapping these colors on car models, OEM designers can virtually paint every color proposal and gain realistic impressions of colors and effects on a complete car already in an early design phase.

AUROOM^®

2016 – Coatings for commercial vehicles

PrimeCube^® is a new technology of BASF’s Coatings division for coating of truck cabins. It combines an ultra high-solid primer (“PrimeBloc”) with an ultra high-solid topcoat (“ColorPrime”) which are applied wet-in-wet. Therefore, the primer oven can be skipped leading to significant energy savings. The wet-in-wet application also enables the production to apply both materials with a single robot. Overall, this lean process is a perfect match with the box concept and allows for a highly flexible production with less investments. The significantly reduced primary energy demands and VOC emissions contribute to the protection of our environment.

2013 – XSpark^® coating makes cars sparkle

The basecoat “XSpark^® ̶ designed by BASF” contains very fine glass particles that reflect the light with greater precision, thus creating a pronounced sparkle. With XSpark, BASF is putting another special-effect innovation in the “XColors ̶ designed by BASF” product family on the market. XColors are innovative colors that feature remarkable special effects or exceptional color depth while being highly suitable for series production. They include the XFine^® coatings, which emphasize the shape of the body particularly strikingly thanks to its intensive metallic effect.

2012 – Highly flexible technology

Gardo^®Flex offers many benefits to the automotive industry: the modern zinc-phosphate technology is suited for multi-metal treatment at unlimited throughput of aluminium substrates and high cost efficiency in production. Gardo^®Flex can be implemented directly into the existing production line. Numerous automotive customers already benefit from our highly flexible technology.

Gardo®Flex

2011 – High scratch resistance

With iGloss^®, BASF has developed a clearcoat for the automotive industry that sets new standards in scratch resistance. It permanently reduces the creation of annoying microscratches, like those that can come about at the car wash, for example. This preserves the “new car effect” for considerably longer.

Car bodies being cleaned prior to spraying in car factory.

2009 – Multi-metal pretreatment process

The Oxsilan^® technology is an eco-friendly and multi-metal pretreatment process. The innovative technology is used likewise for the appliance industry as well as pretreatment for premium car bodies.

Oxsilan®

2009 – Corrosion protection with CathoGuard 800®

With CathoGuard 800^® BASF launches a corrosion protection that has a very low solvent content and saves material due to its high efficiency. CathoGuard 800^®provides high edge protection and an excellent appearance. In addition, it is tin- and HAPs-free. The technology is perfectly suitable for integrated application processes, in which no primer layer is applied.

Learn more about our e-coats

2006 – Integrated Process II at BWM Oxford plant

Integrated Process II (IP II) is used for the first time in 2006 at the BMW Oxford plant in Great Britain for the production of BMW’s Mini Oxford. By integrating the functions of the filler into the basecoat, an entire coating step is eliminated. The Integrated Process II reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 20 percent. Fast cure and low temperature curing concepts save emissions and energy, too.

Learn more about IP II

2005 – Eco-friendly sealants and removers

Naftoseal^®polysulphide aircraft sealants for OEMs and maintenance are specifically designed to meet the technological requirements of the aerospace industry. Benefit from a full range of approved, easy-to-use, eco-friendly sealants and sealant removers.

Naftoseal®

2005 – High performance lubricants for metal forming

Gardomer® technology covers a range of unique, polymeric lubricants for all kinds of demanding metal forming operations such as cold heading, tube drawing or cold extrusion. Applied by spray or dip, from ambient temperature up to 85°C, our Gardomer® products will fit easy in existing pre-treatment processes. A water-dilutable and dry-in-place solution for outstanding forming performance at low friction and less residues. Free of heavy metals and mineral oil, Gardomer® considerably minimizes the contamination of tools and downstream cleaning baths resulting in extended service life.

Gardomer®

Painter holds a spectrophotometer on a blue car body.

1998 – Perfect color matching

The ColorCARE^® Toolbox is a colorimetric software for the organization, evaluation and graphical representation of color and texture data and allows the automation of customer-specific measurement processes. The ColorCARE^® Toolbox is used in industries where the objective evaluation of colors and textures is crucial.

Learn more about our ColorCARE® Toolbox

1996 – High-efficient conversion coatings

Gardobond X 4661 SAM (Self Assembling Molecules) is a chrome-, metal- and fluoride-free pretreatment for aluminium wheels. It is suited for all aluminum alloys and applications and can be be applied by dip and spray. Gardobond^® is the established trademark for a variety of high-efficient conversion coatings – from traditional phosphating processes to eco-friendly technologies. For the treatment of aluminium substrates we offer you the innovative Gardobond^® X-series.

Gardobond®

1995 - Colormaster

R-M’s color identification tool, Colormaster, is launched and revolutionizes color matching. The tool enables customers to conveniently access over 100,000 color formulations and the relevant technical information on the internet

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1992 – Waterborne Glasurit® 90 Line

The waterborne “Glasurit® 90 Line” automotive refinish system is introduced in 1992. Outstanding hiding power, easy application and optimal process times make 90 Line a genuine all-round talent among automotive coatings, both for solid and for metallic and special-effect colours. it’s no coincidence that 90 Line is the most successful waterborne basecoat system on the European market. The secret of this success is the perfect harmony of the basecoat and colour system. in addition to its completely straightforward workfow, 90 Line ensures optimal colour accuracy thanks to the integrated Color Profi System.