BASF boosts coatings innovation, efficiency and CO₂ savings with fully digital Lean Lab concept in Germany

From left to right: Dr. Jan-Bernd Kues (Process Lab EMEA), Dr. Ralf Otte (Vice President Global Technology OEM Coatings), Michael Döring (Project Lead Lean Lab), Jens Bucher (Team Lead Process Lab Wuerzburg), Dr. Matteo Cicciotti (Site Manager Wuerzburg) and Patrick Zhao (Senior Vice President Global Automotive OEM Coatings)
Photo: BASF Coatings / FOTO@SCHMELZ-FOTODESIGN

(IN BRIEF) BASF Coatings has inaugurated its new Lean Lab in Wuerzburg, Germany, bringing a digitally optimized laboratory model to one of its key European coating facilities. The new setup focuses on waterborne basecoat development for automotive OEM clients and introduces a three-part workflow: process laboratory, product laboratory, and laboratory services. The Lean Lab uses full digital recording, ergonomic workspaces, RFID warehouse management and custom software to improve accuracy, transparency and development speed. Sustainability benefits include streamlined material flow and logistics that save 25.1 tons of CO₂ annually, along with reduced resource consumption. According to Dr. Ralf Otte, the new lab is part of a global rollout supporting innovation, occupational safety and sustainability across BASF Coatings sites. The Wuerzburg laboratory strengthens the region’s role in global automotive coatings development and enhances BASF’s position as a digital and technology-driven coatings leader.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUDWIGSHAFEN, 26-Nov-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — BASF Coatings has opened a new state-of-the-art laboratory in Wuerzburg, Germany, marking a significant step forward in digital product development, sustainability and operational efficiency. Designed under the company’s global Lean Lab framework, the new facility focuses on the development and production of waterborne basecoats for automotive OEM customers across Europe — and strengthens Wuerzburg’s role as a central innovation hub within BASF’s global coatings network.

Dr. Ralf Otte, Vice President Global Technology, Automotive OEM Coatings at BASF Coatings, emphasized the strategic relevance of the investment, noting that the Lean Lab rollout is a key pillar of BASF’s technology roadmap. “Our new Wuerzburg lab represents the foundation for modern, digital and highly flexible development work. It reflects our commitment to sustainable innovation across regions, and I am extremely proud that our project team delivered this concept with such precision and dedication,” said Otte.

The Lean Lab structure is based on specialized workflows that separate tasks across three clearly defined areas — the process laboratory, the product laboratory, and laboratory services. The process lab handles wet-chemical development and testing, while the product lab focuses on customer-oriented coating optimization. Laboratory services coordinate the movement and management of raw materials, ensuring optimized material flow, traceability and efficient consumption.

Every workstation in the new facility incorporates advanced ergonomic design and fully digital process recording, supported by modern IT systems that streamline daily operations. With its location adjacent to production, the lab enables fast knowledge transfer between development teams and manufacturing units, accelerating the path from formulation to implementation.

Sustainability is built into the Lean Lab’s operational model. Optimized logistics, centralized space usage and efficient production routing reduce CO₂ emissions by 25.1 tons annually, while consumption-controlled material supply helps minimize waste. Digitalization plays a key role — the site uses customized lab software, automated data capture, and an RFID-powered raw-material warehouse with end-to-end digital management, including procurement.

The new environment also supports collaboration and employee well-being. A modern working café provides space for creative exchange and team dialogue — an important complement to the structured process-focused lab zones.

With waterborne basecoat development for international OEM customers already established in Wuerzburg, the new Lean Lab enhances the site’s ability to deliver fast, customer-centric solutions and reinforces its position as a leading employer and innovation center within the region. The concept is now being adapted for other BASF Coatings locations worldwide, tailored to meet the needs of each production site.

About BASF Coatings

BASF Coatings is a global expert in the development, production and marketing of innovative and sustainable automotive OEM and refinish coatings as well as applied surface treatments for metal, plastic and glass substrates in a wide range of industries. We create advanced performance solutions and drive performance, design and new applications to meet our partners’ needs all over the world. We share skills, knowledge and resources of interdisciplinary and global teams for the benefit of customers by operating a collaborative network of sites in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific. In 2024, our businesses achieved global sales of about €3.8 billion.

BASF Coatings – Driven by passion and science, we always go beyond the surface. For more information, visit www.basf-coatings.com and follow us on LinkedIn. 

About BASF 

At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. Our ambition: We want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Around 112,000 employees in the BASF Group contribute to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio comprises, as core businesses, the segments Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, and Nutrition & Care; our standalone businesses are bundled in the segments Surface Technologies and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of €65.3 billion in 2024. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the United States. Further information at www.basf.com.

Media contact:

Julia Kroker
Media Relations Northern EMEA
+49 1520 9374468
julia.kroker@basf.com

SOURCE: BASF SE