Dr. Matthias Maase has been appointed director for BASF’s new business development operation in the company’s North American Intermediates Regional Business Unit based in Florham Park, NJ. He replaces Dr. Frank Stein, who is returning to BASF’s Ludwigshafen site to a new assignment as Group Leader for Alkylamines and Alkylalkanolamines in the BASF Intermediates division.

Dr. Maase joined the company in 1999 in the Chemicals Research & Engineering department in Ludwigshafen, Germany. His team developed and established the company’s BASIL technology, the first commercial process utilizing ionic liquids. He then served in a management position where he was responsible for the marketing of ionic liquids and ionic liquid based technologies. As recognition for their work in this field, Dr. Maase and his team were awarded the BASF Group Innovation Award in 2004, the ECN Innovation for Growth Award in 2004 and the IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers) Award in 2005.