BASF, a German chemical company, has opened a new facility for plant biotechnology research in Ghent, Belgium.
The company's subsidiary CropDesign has relocated into a new wing of the Bio-Accelerator site in Technologiepark Ghent.
Spread over 4,000m2 area, the facility features labs, offices and a rooftop greenhouse for rice research and product development.
BASF Plant Science president Peter Eckes said that the company benefits from the close proximity to excellent world renowned institutions like VIB - the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology.
"The move helps strengthen our research collaborations with local partners and demonstrates BASF's commitment to modern agricultural solutions," Eckes added.
CropDesign managing director Wim van Camp said, "With our technology platform TraitMillTM, we test more than 140,000 rice plants per year and identify yield enhancing traits for our global projects."
Headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, CropDesign focuses on main markets for plant biotechnology solutions in the Americas and Asia. The company was acquired by BASF in 2006, and it has 145 employees at two facilities in the Technologiepark in Ghent's borough Zwijnaarde and in Nevele.
