BASF AG, several chemical companies and SAP AG announced the launch of an independent joint-venture company.

BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany, several chemical companies and SAP AG announced the launch of an independent joint-venture company that will focus on creating an electronic marketplace for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The virtual marketplace, which will be based on SAP’s mySAP.com e-business and marketplace technology, is expected to go online in the second quarter. Buyers and sellers of all industries and regions will be allowed to use the site, the venture-company partners said.