Chemical company BASF and the University of Waterloo's Data and Artificial Intelligence Institute (Waterloo.AI) are joining forces to advance AI applications through a $2.96 million three-year collaborative research agreement that will run from 2025 to 2028. This partnership is designed to facilitate knowledge sharing and develop advanced AI systems to drive operational excellence, enhance customer value, and streamline processes.
As part of BASF's commitment to harnessing value and unlocking new potential through AI innovation, the partnership will leverage novel root cause analysis, forecasting, and optimization methodologies and integrate advanced graph structures and language and data models to deliver granular, real-time insights in complex situations. Through these innovative solutions, BASF and the University of Waterloo will aim to empower business users with tools for analyzing and optimizing intricate structures and combine ease of use with transparency to maximize adoption and business impact.
"At BASF, we've been on a decade-long journey of AI innovation, and this collaboration with the University of Waterloo is our next step forward. By applying advanced methodologies, we can better equip our teams with the tools needed to optimize complex global value networks," said Jürgen Müller, global head of AI Innovation Center at BASF. "However, innovation thrives on collaboration, and partnering with university leaders, like the University of Waterloo, underscores our commitment to operational excellence and a future powered by AI."
The BASF AI Innovation Center is the key hub for technological advancement, strategically harnessing cutting-edge AI solutions to meet diverse business challenges while igniting future innovation. Designed to be BASF's dedicated innovation arm for AI, the center fosters a collaborative environment that spans various functions and product lines and partners with leading industry and research players like the University of Waterloo to enhance research and development efforts.
"As one of Canada's most innovative universities, we are pleased to partner with leaders like BASF to support the development of advanced AI systems," said Dr. Vivek Goel, president and vice-chancellor at the University of Waterloo. "Collaborating with industry provides both our students and researchers with an opportunity to unlock innovative solutions that will impact the world for the better."
Through this partnership, BASF and the University of Waterloo will contribute to reinforcing Canada's position as a hub for digital innovation, leverage local funding opportunities, and provide research opportunities for post-doctoral fellows and graduate and undergraduate students at Waterloo.AI. This will advance AI research while learning directly about industry applications spanning production, engineering, R&D, and management.
"With BASF's support, we are excited to advance research in cutting-edge areas such as large language models, natural language processing, AI-driven optimization, and supply chain management," said Dr. Stephen L. Smith, co-director of Waterloo.AI. "This collaboration presents a unique opportunity to make fundamental advances in these fields and to work closely with BASF to integrate these technologies into AI systems that will transform their operations."
BASF Canada, headquartered in Mississauga, is a subsidiary of BASF SE and an affiliate of BASF Corporation in North America. BASF has approximately over 1,100 employees in Canada and had sales of $2.6 billion in 2024. For more information about BASF Canada's operations, visit their website.
