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BASF focuses on core business efficiency

The new Core Transformation Office will coordinate cross-unit projects in Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions and Nutrition & Care.

May 20, 2026 17:50

BASF Julia Raquet As part of the Winning Ways strategic plan, launched in September 2024, chemical group BASF has created the new Core Transformation Office, entrusted to Julia Raquet (pictured), who reports directly to CEO Markus Kamieth.

The plan has divided the portfolio into core businesses - Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions and Nutrition & Care - with annual sales of nearly €40 billion, and standalone businesses serving specialized sectors: environmental catalysts and metal solutions, battery materials, coatings and agricultural solutions.

Raquet will be responsible for implementing the CoreShift program, which, through transformation projects across all core activities, aims to achieve savings of up to 20% in net cash fixed costs by 2029 compared with 2024 levels.
The measures concern the simplification of operations and organization, the introduction of globally harmonized business processes and corresponding standardized IT solutions, enabled by a dedicated ERP system for the core businesses, as well as the increasing use of artificial intelligence.

Before her recent appointment, the German manager, who studied business administration, was President Region EMEA and responsible for the Ludwigshafen Cost Improvement Program.

basf logistic service “Simplifying the operating model of our core is essential to ensure best-in-class competitiveness and drive profitable growth,” said Julia Raquet. “Our efforts to deliver on this ambition are already in full swing, including restructuring our largest Verbund site in Ludwigshafen and reshaping our global service units (read article)”.

The core businesses are well integrated, from upstream to downstream, in long value chains. “Our core businesses stand for strong market positions, for driving innovation and for enabling the green transformation of our customers. By carving out the standalone businesses, we are creating a more focused and coherent core,” said Kamieth. “Our clear focus is to leverage best-in-class competitiveness and synergies across our core businesses to lift their earnings power.”