German chemicals and materials manufacturer BASF announced Tuesday that it has broken ground on the third phase of its Innovation Campus Shanghai. During the project, the Germany-based company will add a research and development building and a structure that will house an R&D workshop. “Innovations have made BASF the leading chemical company and they are the key driver for our profitable organic growth,” Dr. Jeffrey Lou, president, Advanced Materials & Systems Research for BASF, said in a company release. “We are increasing our R&D presence in Asia, intensifying our open innovation activities and strengthening our capabilities to meet the needs of our customers in Asia and across the globe.”