JAN / FEB 2026
New site agreement for Ludwigshafen
The management and employee representatives of BASF have concluded a new site agreement at Ludwigshafen entitled‘ Shaping the Future for a Strong Site’. The parties said that this“ addresses the current challenges facing the chemical industry. In an economically and geopolitically challenging environment, the agreement focuses on the competitiveness and adaptability of the site.”
Among other key details, there will be compulsory redundancies during the five years to the end of 2030 for which the agreement is intended to run. It will initially operate for three years but this will automatically be extended for two more if the agreed targets for restoring profitability are achieved.
BASF will invest around € 2 billion / year on modernisation and expansion of infrastructure, capacities and the“ sustainable transformation” of the site. The transformation will involve simplifying the organisation, increasing flexibility, using digitalisation and AI for continuous productivity gains, further developing working time management and the use of digital tools to support personnel deployment.
“ Given the persistent structural and economic challenges, this outcome was is by no means a foregone conclusion,” said Sinischa Horvat, chairman of the works council.“ But in the end, it is a clear commitment to the site, to the employees – who are the key to success – and an expression of confidence that together we can get BASF SE back on track for success.”
Separately, BASF has agreed to sell its optical brightening agents( OBAs) business, part of its Care Chemicals division, to Catexel. Terms are not being disclosed and the sale is expected to close in Q1 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. This is part of the company’ s‘ Winning Ways’ strategy of portfolio management.
Catexel is the care chemicals platform of ICIG, the private equitybacked owner of numerous chemical operations, mainly in Germany. It is taking control of the OBA production at Monthey, Switzerland, and gaining about 80 employees. BASF remains a major supplier of ingredients for the home care and industrial and institutional cleaning markets.
IN BRIEF
MFG changes hands Windjammer Capital has acquired MFG Chemical from its fellow private equity firm, Platte River Equity, on undisclosed terms. Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, MFG develops custom chemicals for markets, notably water treatment and industrial coatings. The company said that this will supports its continued growth“ through investments in operational excellence, product development to expand its portfolio and end-market reach, and strategic acquisitions”.
Verdant buys Lubrizol site Verdant Specialty Solutions has closed the acquisition of Lubrizol’ s Elmendorf site in Texas, including the associated product portfolio and the on-site R & D laboratory, advanced application testing capabilities and pilotscale facilities. This adds H 2
S scavengers, scale inhibitors, corrosion inhibitors and others to Verdant’ s oil and gas portfolio.
Ube works with Xeureka Under a new joint research agreement, Ube will use the advanced computational drug discovery technologies of its Japanese compatriot Xeureka, including the Free Energy Perturbation( FEP) technology, to identify new small molecule compounds targeting oncology. The two have already confirmed FEP to be applicable to Ube’ s research targets.
Signing ceremony for the site agreement
JAN / FEB 2026 SPECCHEMONLINE. COM
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