Dirk Staerke has worked with BASF for 30 years in a variety of roles. Currently based in Germany, he has spent 10 years on international assignments in UK and Turkey. In 2002 he won the BASF innovation award for the development of ecoflex, a fully biodegradable polymer, and in 2005 he was one of three scientists granted a patent for ecovio, a range biodegradable compounds partially based on renewable raw materials. From 2006 - 2012 he was Sales Director, Plastics (Turkey, Middle East & Northe Africa), and since 2012 he has been responsible for Global Industry Management Agricultural Applications ecoflex® & ecovio®.