Dissolving a loss-making subsidiary and embracing synthetic biology! BASF and Evonik continue heavy investment in China.

Recently, Huaheng Bio, a leading listed synthetic biology company in China, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on strategic cooperation with global chemical giant Evonik. The two parties will leverage their respective strengths to jointly provide high-quality bio-based amino acid products to global customers and advance innovation and development in the field of animal nutrition and health. Notably, on the same day as the signing, another leading listed enzyme producer, Weilan Bio, issued an announcement stating that it had signed a Settlement Agreement with Evonik and would initiate dissolution and liquidation procedures for their joint venture—and its Qingdao branch. The company to be dissolved is Evonik-Weilan, a Sino-foreign joint venture established in 2023, primarily engaged in probiotics for animal feed. With registered capital of RMB 37.5 million, Evonik holds a 55% stake. Going forward, both parties will sign a new private-label manufacturing agreement. According to its 2024 annual report, Evonik-Weilan generated annual revenue of only RMB 32.93 million and incurred a net loss of RMB 6.48 million—consistent with the stated rationale in the report: “in light of the joint venture’s actual operational performance and both parties’ future business plans.” Animal Nutrition: Evonik China’s Three-Stage Leap Evonik’s collaboration with Chinese biomanufacturing enterprises dates back to 2018. At that time, Evonik signed a cooperation agreement with Fufeng Group, a leading Chinese fermentation company, authorizing Fufeng to produce L-threonine (ThreAMINO) under Evonik’s technology license. As a key step to expand its presence in the Chinese market, this marked Evonik’s first global supply of the product via cooperative manufacturing. L-threonine is an essential amino acid that animals cannot synthesize themselves and must therefore obtain through dietary supplementation. Appropriate addition of this product can enhance animal feed intake, body weight gain, and overall feed nutritional value. Next came 2023, when Evonik partnered with Weilan Bio to establish the joint venture “Evonik-Weilan,” focused on animal gut health products—including probiotics and formulated feed additives—and launching multiple probiotic formulations and functional feed additives. The newly announced cooperation with Huaheng Bio—just confirmed—also centers on animal nutrition. In the official cooperation announcement, Evonik’s Head of Animal Nutrition noted: “Huaheng possesses highly efficient, large-scale biotechnological fermentation capacity and technological advantages.”

BASF may merge with or acquire Evonik!!

【Polymer Circular Reuse】 According to reports from European media on September 22, citing merger and acquisition information providers Mergermarket and Dealreporter, BASF had conducted preliminary discussions earlier this year regarding the possibility of merging with German specialty chemicals company Evonik. The news drove Evonik’s share price up by as much as 4.8% that day. However, multiple sources indicated that, constrained by financial pressures and ongoing business divestiture processes, the transaction is unlikely to materialize in the near term. Reports indicate that five insiders disclosed details of the negotiation progress to the media. It is confirmed that both companies have initiated related discussions; any substantive follow-up actions will proceed exclusively at the executive leadership level. Multiple insiders noted that the idea of a BASF–Evonik merger is not new—it has appeared on corporate board agendas for years, with conceptual discussions stretching back nearly two decades, yet remaining stuck at the ideation stage. Several insiders candidly acknowledged that the deal widely referred to externally as a “merger” is, in essence, a BASF acquisition of Evonik. Financial constraints and the planned divestiture of business units are the core factors hindering short-term advancement of this transaction. Insiders stated that BASF currently faces tight liquidity and will not launch such a major acquisition before completing the IPO of its Agricultural Solutions business. BASF has recently appointed Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase as global coordinators for this IPO, with the listing expected to occur no earlier than mid-2027. Polymer circular reuse—including plastics, fibers, rubber, and resin-based composites—is a critical initiative globally for achieving carbon neutrality and green transformation, and represents an inevitable trend in industrial development. Building upon the success of the first three editions, the 2026 (4th) Polymer Circularity and Recycling Conference (PCRC 2026) will be held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, from December 17–19, 2026. Centered on the theme “Advanced Recycling • High-Value Regeneration • Industrial Collaboration,” the conference will focus on recycling technologies and applications for plastics, fibers, rubber, and resin-based composite materials. It will bring together academia, research institutions, and industry players to exchange insights on cutting-edge recycling technologies, design of recyclable materials, and practical industrial applications—accelerating technology transfer and upstream-downstream collaboration. The conference will feature three concurrent activities: the Dynamic Polymers and Recyclable Materials Design Forum; the Polymer Circularity and Recycling Materials & Equipment Exhibition; and the Polymer Circularity and Recycling Innovation Achievements Exhibition—further promoting knowledge sharing, collaboration, industrial synergy, and market alignment in the resource-circularity sector. Experts and upstream-downstream enterprises across the field are warmly invited to participate, share insights, and explore partnerships! 01 Organizational Structure Conference Name 2026 (4th) Polymer Circularity and Recycling Conference Polymer Circularity and Recycling Conference (PCRC 2026)

BASF Confirms Talks to Acquire German Specialty Firm Evonik

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BASF confirmed exploratory talks to acquire German specialty chemicals firm Evonik from owner RAG-Stiftung, though outcomes remain uncertain. Evonik simultaneously pursues restructuring with plans to cut 3,200 jobs globally.

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