BASF becomes shareholder of Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo

• Promotes knowledge exchange on healthy and safe food, future farming and bio-circular economy research
• Opportunities for co-creation of new vegetable innovations

BASF Vegetable Seeds signed an agreement to become a shareholder of Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo B.V. on January 1, 2020. The Brightlands campus is at the heart of the North-West European agrifood scene, focusing its research on healthy and safe food, future farming and bio-circular economy. BASF will be one of three shareholders, joining Maastricht University and the province of Limburg.

“It is our ambition to make healthy food enjoyable by offering vegetable solutions that are in line with consumers’ needs,” said Vicente Navarro, Senior Vice President of BASF Vegetable Seeds. “We can achieve this best by exchanging knowledge and collaborating with partners in the supply chain and beyond. Therefore, this public-private partnership is a great fit. The campus with its focus on nutrition, health, and new sustainable cultivation techniques, and the presence of other companies and knowledge institutions on the campus offer unique opportunities for advancing partnerships and technologies.” BASF is one of the world's leading vegetable seed companies, marketing its seeds mainly under the Nunhems® brand.

Saskia Goetgeluk, director of Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, is very pleased with BASF joining as shareholder: “It is an important milestone for us as a campus as it enables us to further consolidate the combined innovative strengths of the business community, government, and knowledge institutions. We have a lot to offer to each other and I look forward to working together.”

The Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo connects entrepreneurs from around 65 companies, scientists and students from knowledge institutes such as Maastricht University, Fontys Universities of Applied Sciences, and HAS University of Applied Sciences. It is part of Brightlands, an open innovation community consisting of four campuses that work on major challenges of sustainability and health.

About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division
With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. Working with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others, it is our role to help make this possible. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline and broad portfolio, including seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we connect innovative thinking and down-to-earth action to create real world ideas that work – for farmers, society and the planet. In 2018, our division generated sales of €6.2 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.

About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.