North American Center for Research on Advanced Materials to continue for another five years
October 30 2017 - 9:00AM
At a conference marking the five-year anniversary of the North
American Center for Research on Advanced Materials (NORA), the
center’s members convened to discuss the outcomes of the research
alliance to date as well as future areas of focus, including
bioscience and catalysis research, digitalization and working with
start-up organizations. NORA was established by BASF, Harvard
University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and
the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst. At the anniversary
event in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the extension of NORA for
another five years was officially announced.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1e3366d8-4248-4688-8c8b-80ec6fd95991
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/34c85e05-d826-48fe-9982-e3214bf5d5f1
“BASF, Harvard, MIT and UMass Amherst have
engaged in an interdisciplinary approach to research. Together, we
develop next generation technologies to help solve the most
demanding materials, chemistry and biology-related challenges,”
said Dr. Martin Brudermüller, Vice Chairman of the Board of
Executive Directors and Chief Technology Officer at BASF. “To
significantly advance our research, we will focus on digitalization
and explore the potential of working with start-ups in the Boston
area’s dynamic technology ecosystem.”
To accelerate its development of digitalization
in R&D, BASF announced at the conference its membership in
Systems That Learn (STL), a research initiative that is part of the
MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
(CSAIL). STL aims to accelerate the development, deployment and
evolution of large-scale software systems that incorporate machine
learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Membership will provide
BASF access to cutting-edge research in AI, machine learning and
data analytics, early access to new tools and close interaction
with CSAIL researchers.
Significant progress in field of
structured materials
In recent years, the NORA initiative has led to
significant advancements in the field of structured materials.
Nature has perfected such materials, for instance, Balsa wood – a
prominent example of lightweight materials, balancing low weight
and remarkable strength. A joint effort of BASF and MIT, Professors
Lorna Gibson and Markus Buehler used a combination of experimental
techniques and computer simulation to reveal more insights into the
structure of Balsa wood – from macroscopic specimens, to the level
of the cellular structure of the wood, down to chemical details at
the atomic scale. In looking at the smallest details, it was
determined that the wood’s strength comes from cellulosic fibers
reinforcing the walls in the cellular structure in a specific
geometrical arrangement.
Once this principle was discovered, the NORA
team created composite materials based on the characteristics of
Balsa wood. Together with Professor Ryan Hayward from UMass
Amherst, researchers mimicked the smallest elongated cellular
structures in polymeric foams. A collaboration with Professor
Jennifer Lewis’ group at Harvard used 3D printing techniques to
print honeycomb cellular structures from epoxy resins, which
contained reinforcing fibers in the cell walls, just like
Balsa.
“Interactions with BASF have brought new
challenges to our academic community that evolve as we explore new
directions in science and technology,” said David Weitz,
Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and of Applied Physics in the
Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
“One of the key benefits of NORA is that it provides an outlet for
the creativity of local scientists to have an impact on applied
research.”
The NORA collaboration has also advanced tools
and learnings that are being incorporated into several internal
BASF projects. “As we look to the next five years, understanding
and controlling structures of materials at all length scales will
remain a focus area and an interdisciplinary effort at NORA,
considering novel applications in chemical catalysis, materials for
biological systems or exploring physical interactions in advanced
and totally new materials, such as metamaterials,” said Dr. Peter
Eckes, President of Bioscience Research and North America Research
Representative at BASF. “We look forward to extending our
co-creation efforts with our academic partners.”
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable
future. We combine economic success with environmental protection
and social responsibility. The approximately 114,000 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 five segments: Chemicals, Performance
Products, Functional Materials & Solutions, Agricultural
Solutions and Oil & Gas. BASF generated sales of about
€58 billion in 2016. BASF shares are traded on the stock
exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (BAS).
Further information at www.basf.com.
Birgit LauPhone: +49 621 60-20732birgit.lau@basf.com
Betsy ArnoneBASF CorporationPhone: +1 973 245
7865betsy.arnone@basf.com
Basf Reg (LSE:BFA)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
Basf Reg (LSE:BFA)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024