BASF brings sustainable refinish paint system to the global stage for skills

The Car Painting skill competition at WorldSkills Lyon 2024 saw the introduction of the world’s leading waterborne refinish paint system – Glasurit 100 Line – known for outstanding performance in process time, consumption, and sustainability.

Through its premium paint brand, Glasurit, BASF supported the Competition by not only providing Glasurit 100 Line but also training WorldSkills Experts and Competitors in its application. Thanks to its advanced formulation, the paint delivers benchmark-proven results, reducing processing time by up to 40% and material consumption by up to 30% per application. Additionally, it simplifies complex refinishing processes by converting some three-stage colours into two-stage colours, enabling greater speed and sustainability.

As a WorldSkills Global Partner since 2017, BASF has led the efforts to incorporate eco-efficiency into the skill of Car Painting. These efforts have resulted in sustainable practices being permanently integrated into the WorldSkills Occupational Standards and Technical Description, which outlines the skills to be assessed by each Competitor.

As part of their Test Projects, Car Painting Competitors used Glasurit 100 Line, Refinity, and paint-related material from SATA and 3M, and were encouraged to be mindful of using the precise amount of paint materials to achieve the highest quality results. Such practices reduce wastage, bringing benefits to both, the environment and business.

“We have raised the bar with Glasurit 100 Line and we’re setting new standards for sustainable skill development required by the industry,” said Chris Titmarsh, Senior Vice President, Global Automotive Refinish Coatings, BASF. “With WorldSkills, and our vocational training partners, we’re committed to delivering an even more diverse and highly skilled workforce to lead the future of collision repair."

During WorldSkills Lyon 2024, a dedicated Glasurit event booth welcomed Competitors, Experts, and visitors, showcasing training solutions designed to enhance sustainability in automotive refinishing.

Renewal of partnership

Ahead of WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, BASF Coatings renewed its partnership as a Global Industry Partner of WorldSkills International. With its premium paint brand Glasurit, BASF wants to ramp up efforts to drive transformational change in the automotive refinish industry and continue supporting young car painters worldwide.

“Around the world, every day, WorldSkills Members are developing the ambitions and talent of skilled talent to solve the most pressing issues of our times. BASF Coatings leadership provides our young talents with access to the industry’s best resources and equipment to ensure they can shine on the global stage,” said David Hoey, CEO, WorldSkills International.

Extending cooperation between BASF Coating and WorldSkills will also continue to strengthen the WorldSkills community’s mindset to collaborate for a more sustainable future.

Find out more about Glasurit’s sustainability approach, and about Refinity, their powerful body shop software.