🔙 ThrowbackThursday – When Innovation Got Spiky 👟 ✨Back in 1968, PUMA’s “Bürstenschuh TAHOE” – packed with 68 sole spikes – was banned from the Olympics for too much grip of too many spikes. But instead of stopping, innovation took a new turn. PUMA partnered with BASF to rethink performance from the ground up. The result? The Krallenschuh (“claw shoe”) – featuring a lightweight Ultramid® sole with staggered claws, tested by elite athletes and a robo-runner. 🚀 Debuting at ISPO 1972, it sprinted into the spotlight on German tracks and even caught the attention of the Nigerian Olympic team. Renamed “Ottawa” in 1973, it stayed in the market until 1985 – marking the start of a long-running collaboration that still fuels innovation today. #ThrowbackThursday #PUMA #BASF #Innovation
BASF Performance Materials
Plastics Manufacturing
Plastics and foams for a sustainable future
About us
On the way to rethink plastics. Without doubt our everyday lives rely on plastics and as consumers we enjoy the lightweight, durability and versatility they bring. There are countless of advantages plastics bring to innovation, but they must also be sustainable. #OurPlasticsJourney At BASF Performance Materials, we envision a sustainable world with plastics. We explore new ways to make the lifecycle of plastics more sustainable: from how we can produce plastics more resource-efficiently, to how we can use them better, to how we can give them a new life. We call this transformation #OurPlasticsJourney. But we cannot do it on our own. That is why we are working with partners along the value chain and create solutions together. Together we can reach our goal of a cleaner tomorrow faster. #OurPlasticsJourney has begun, now it is time for you to embark.
- Website
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https://performance-materials.basf.com
External link for BASF Performance Materials
- Industry
- Plastics Manufacturing
- Company size
- 10,001+ employees
- Headquarters
- Waterloo
Updates
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Looking to make an impact on the future of the chemical industry? Let us know your thoughts! 🌱 Take part in our sustainability survey about investments to advance circular economy practices 🔄 #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #Survey
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🎧 New episode of the PU Cast is out! #OurPlasticsJourney is also making strides in South America, and our colleagues there just released a second podcase episode on how polyurethane is driving innovation and sustainability in the construction industry – don’t miss it! 🏗️Kingspan Isoeste showcases PU in high-performance thermal panels that deliver insulation, fire safety, and aesthetic value — all aligned with the market’s increasing demands. ♻️ Aubicon shares how they turn PU waste into flooring that absorbs impact and noise, with applications in gyms, industrial areas, and urban spaces. These two cases highlight the versatility of BASF’s PU solutions in delivering performance with environmental responsibility. 🔗 Watch now: https://lnkd.in/eBfe95kq
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Designing the Future — One Simulation at a Time 🔭 Want to have a look into the future? With our simulation tool Ultrasim® we can make realistic predictions about material behavior — enabling confident design decisions early in the development phase. ✨ Now we’re adding another layer to our innovation journey: We’ve shown that our Polyamide Particle foam Ultramid® Expand (EPA) can be successfully overmolded — unlocking exciting new design possibilities. For the perfect overmolding process, Ultrasim® accurately predicted how the overmolding would behave and helped us fine-tune the process — resulting in more robust, efficient, and sustainable solutions! What do you think about this new layer of possibilities?
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Steady in the Storm – Setting Sail for the Future! Once a year, at the Atelier-Treff, BASF brings together materials experts and leaders from the automotive industry to discuss challenges, opportunities and the road ahead like a strong crew navigating rough seas. Our Atelier-Treff 2025 was all about transformation and turning points – and what an exciting journey it was! 🌊⚓ Some highlights from our voyage: 🚗 Stephan Kothrade showed how the green transformation is reshaping the chemical industry. 🌍 Dr. Josef Braml gave us a global perspective on today’s challenges and how they affect the industry through a geopolitical lens. ⛵ And with the motto “Steady in the storm! Reef the sails, don’t strike them,” BASF Toastmasters Harald Ernst-August Bührer and Waldemar Kerner sent us into the evening with a clear message: In tough weather, it’s about adjusting course, not abandoning ship! 🧭Thank you to everyone who joined us on deck for the Atelier-Treff 2025 and who gave us a compass for navigating change with courage, clarity, and collaboration. #OurPlasticsJourney
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🚴♂️ Lighter than your excuses. Tougher than Monday mornings. Meet the new Schwalbe - Ralf Bohle GmbH Aerothan tubes — now featuring aluminum shafts and 91% circular materials. Ultra-light. Hyper-durable. Seriously good handling. But here’s the twist: they’re not just made for performance — they’re made from performance. ♻️ Old tires get a second life, thanks to Pyrum Innovations AG recycling tech. 🏭 BASF then turns the raw materials into high-performance Ccycled® TPU. The result? Tubes that go the distance — for riders and the planet. Because sustainability doesn’t have to be boring. Or slow. Aerothan with Ccycled® TPU: Ride faster. Waste less. 👉 Follow our journey: #OurPlasticsJourney
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🎉 Last week, BASF Performance Materials hosted the 75th anniversary of the Bundesverband der Schuh- und Lederwarenindustrie e.V. (Federal Association of the Shoe and Leather Industry)! 🥳 We’re proud of the steps we've taken together. 👣 As a key partner, we emphasize the need for genuine partnerships beyond traditional customer-supplier relationships. 🤝 BASF is active in sustainability groups, focusing on future-ready solutions like meltable PU. 🟢 Chemistry drives innovation, especially in the shoe industry. 🏃♂️💨 Our clear commitment: BASF will remain a reliable partner to the footwear industry – working together to shape the best solutions for today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. 💡 Let's move forward together. "Make the move" stands for progress and shaping the future. With BASF, chemistry is in motion. 🚀💙 #ShoeIndustry #OurPlasticsJourney #Sustainability #MakeTheMove #ChemistryInMotion
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Plastics and prejudices: Meet Wei Leng, a researcher at BASF. Listen to her thoughts on why we should re-think common prejudices about plastics and how she is contributing to #OurPlasticsJourney. ♻️ What is your view on this? 🤔
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What motivates you on #OurPlasticsJourney? 🌍 For Jens, it's the passion of the team that he coordinates within BASF! 👏 As one team, they define the roadmap for the transformation of BASF's plastics portfolio towards a circular economy. ♻️ Listen to his inspiring words about how we can work together to make, use, and recycle our plastics! 🎧 Jens Hamprecht What is your biggest source of motivation? 💡
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Making your family proud is an amazing feeling 😊 – In Ibrahim’s case, he has achieved that through working on biopolymers as his contribution to #OurPlasticsJourney! 🌍 By finding ways to end plastic waste, Ibrahim Ashour makes his father who has had a long history with farming proud and eases his frustration about plastic waste in the environment. Listen to his personal story! 🎧 What makes you proud to be part of #OurPlasticsJourney?