BASF Plant Science has opened its new $33 million research facility expansion at Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina, U.S.A. Along with office space, the enlarged premises, where 950 people are employed, include climate-controlled laboratory and greenhouse space in addition to what it says is a new environmentally-controlled insect production facility to expand insect control research. 

 "A significant share of BASF's insecticide research is conducted in RTP. These larger facilities will enable us to evaluate our promising insecticide candidates faster," said Nevin McDougall, senior vice president, BASF Crop Protection North America.

Citing a lack of acceptance for plant biotechnology in many parts of Europe, in 2012 the group moved the headquarters of its Plant Science division to the site near Raleigh from Limburger Hof, near its Ludwigshafen, Germany home base. Alongside the U.S., its R&D activities for plant science are concentrated at Ghent, Belgium, and Berlin, Germany.