Promoting Innovation and Creating New Businesses and Products

「The Company is promoting R&D centered on four pillars: (i) development of new wood-derived materials; (ii) conversion of unused biomass resources into value-added products; (iii) full-scale entry into pharmaceuticals and healthcare; and (iv) development of sustainable packaging and other environmentally friendly products. It aims to expand its business domains and contribute to a sustainable society.」

「Using the core technologies cultivated through papermaking and forestry since its founding, together with its abundant forest resources, the Company is promoting R&D centered on four pillars: (i) development of new wood-derived materials; (ii) conversion of unused biomass resources into value-added products; (iii) full-scale entry into pharmaceuticals and healthcare; and (iv) development of sustainable packaging and other environmentally friendly products. It aims to contribute to a sustainable society.」

「First, under the development of new wood-derived materials, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) have been commercialized for applications including cosmetics and paints and coatings, while new applications are being explored. For composites with natural rubber, the Company introduced demonstration equipment toward commercialization. In March 2024, it developed a polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cells using CNF. In September, it announced the development of components for autonomous mobile robots using cellulose nanofibers with Toyota Motor East Japan, Inc. It is also advancing commercialization of cellulose resin pellets for applications including large automotive interior components. In addition, by using woody biomass as a raw material, the Company successfully developed a PFAS-free EUV (extreme ultraviolet) resist for next-generation semiconductors that enables finer patterning, and aims to commercialize it.」

「A pilot production facility is scheduled to begin operating at Oji Paper's Yonago Mill in the second half of fiscal 2024. In December 2023, the Company and Tottori Prefecture, Yonago City and Hiezu Village signed a four-party agreement to promote regional economic revitalization through this project.」

「First, under the development of new wood-derived materials, cellulose nanofibers (CNF) have been commercialized for applications including cosmetics and paints and coatings, while new applications such as composites with natural rubber are being explored. The Company is also advancing the commercialization of products such as cellulose resin pellets to make effective use of cellulose materials.」

「For decarbonization, the Company is studying the production of wood-derived ethanol and sugar solutions. Wood-derived ethanol is expected to serve as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and basic chemicals, while wood-derived sugar solutions are expected to see growing demand as a key raw material for a range of biomanufacturing applications, including biomass plastics such as polylactic acid. A pilot production facility is scheduled to begin operating at Oji Paper's Yonago Mill in the second half of fiscal 2024.」

「The Company is currently advancing three main themes. First, under the development of new wood-derived materials, it is developing wood-derived biomass plastics such as polylactic acid to move away from petroleum-derived plastics, and manufacturing biomass-plastic film to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions from fossil fuels. It is also developing the production of wood-derived ethanol and examining the possibility of supplying it as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).」

「In October 2022, Oji Management Office Co., Ltd. newly established the Group Business Development Headquarters and is further promoting the development of environmentally oriented businesses by comprehensively managing the liquid paper-container business, the effective use of company-owned forests in Japan, and new business development.」

「Specifically, the Company developed Cell Array, a cell-culture substrate that applies its Nano Dot Array technology for forming nanoscale surface structures and aligns cells to create conditions close to those in the body. Sales began in October 2022. The Company is conducting joint research with Juntendo University and others to develop applications for Cell Array in regenerative medicine and drug discovery.」

「This product can reduce the use of petroleum-derived polypropylene, has been certified as a Biomass Mark product by the Japan Organics Recycling Association, and went on sale in February 2022. Applications of cellulose nanofibers are also increasing in specific products in a range of fields, including construction, sporting goods and cosmetics, and development is progressing toward commercialization in composite-material applications such as resins and rubber.」

「In addition to use as an additive for pumping aids for ready-mixed concrete and adoption by cosmetics manufacturers of the cosmetic ingredient Auro Visco CS, CNF has also been adopted as an additive for paints and coatings. Use is expanding in a range of areas, including the broader adoption of CNF sheets in table-tennis rackets. For adoption in automotive components, the Company is also developing composite materials with rubber and general-purpose resins, as well as transparent resin combining CNF and polycarbonate.」

「Cellulose nanofibers (CNF), which are expected to have broad industrial applications as a next-generation material, have been adopted as an additive for pumping aids for ready-mixed concrete and by cosmetics manufacturers for the cosmetic ingredient Auro Visco CS, as well as an additive for industrial products serving large global markets. Use is expanding in a range of areas, including the broader adoption of CNF sheets in table-tennis rackets.」

「Cellulose nanofibers (CNF), which are expected to have broad industrial applications as a next-generation material, have been adopted as an additive for pumping aids for ready-mixed concrete, as well as by cosmetics manufacturers for the cosmetic ingredient Auro Visco CS. CNF has also been adopted as an additive for industrial products serving large global markets. Use is expanding in a range of areas, including the broader adoption of the CNF sheet Auro Veil in table-tennis rackets.」

「As a new development area, the Company is expanding into the life sciences using its proprietary nanostructure-forming technology, Nano Dot Array. It developed a cell-culture substrate with microstructures that is useful for iPS drug discovery and regenerative-medicine development, among other applications, by aligning cells to create conditions similar to those in the body, and commercialized culture dishes in May 2020.」

「In October 2019, resin glass combining CNF and polycarbonate was exhibited as an automotive component at the Ministry of the Environment booth at the Tokyo Motor Show. In addition, the CNF sheet Auro Veil, developed using the Company's proprietary technology, was adopted as a material for table-tennis rackets in February 2020.」

「The CNF sheet Auro Veil, developed using the Company's proprietary technology, was adopted as a material for table-tennis rackets in February 2020.」

「Together with Sojitz Planet Corporation, the Company was selected for the Ministry of the Environment's commissioned project, the FY2019 Demonstration Project for Building a Resource-Circulating System for Plastics and Other Materials to Support a Decarbonized Society, to study the production of domestically produced plastics using pulp as a raw material.」

「Under one of its management principles, coexistence with the environment and society, the Group promotes environmental management and conducts corporate activities in harmony with the environment. It aims to contribute to the realization of a truly prosperous and sustainable society by conducting agile and efficient R&D, exploring new needs, and creating new products and businesses through innovation.」

「The CNF slurry Auro Visco has been adopted as a thickener for automotive chemical products and as a pumping aid for ready-mixed concrete. Auro Visco CS, which won a silver award at one of the world's largest cosmetics ingredients exhibitions held in the Netherlands in 2018, received high acclaim from the cosmetics industry and was commercialized in April 2019.」

「In parallel with this application development, in March 2018 the Company successfully developed a composite material combining polycarbonate resin and CNF that has far superior properties to conventional materials, including a high modulus of elasticity and a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion.」

「In January 2018, the Company's proprietary equipment for producing transparent continuous sheets began operating, ahead of any other company in the world. Through the introduction of this equipment, the Company is working diligently to verify reductions in manufacturing energy consumption and establish mass-production technology, while expanding sample provision to users and advancing application development.」

「As another new development area, the Company is developing nanoscale microstructures using its proprietary technology. By incorporating these microstructures into deep-ultraviolet LEDs developed by DOWA Electronics Co., Ltd., with a dominant emission wavelength in the 310 nm range, it achieved a world-class output of 90 mW. It has also developed a disposable body-cleaning wipe, Body-Cleansing Hot Cloth, that retains warmth for an extended period for use in hospitals and nursing-care settings, and has begun providing samples.」

「The Company is also accelerating application development in a broader range of fields through active sample provision of the CNF transparent sheet Auro Veil, developed using its proprietary technology; Auro Veil WP, with improved water resistance and scheduled for sample provision from November 2017; the CNF transparent sheet Auro Veil 3D, which can be three-dimensionally molded; and CNF powder dispersible in a variety of organic solvents. It aims to contribute to revitalizing the CNF market, where CNF is a lightweight, strong and sustainable natural material.」

「The Company is pursuing CNF with particular vigor as a future core business. Its demonstration plant for producing its proprietary phosphorylated CNF slurry began operating in fiscal 2016, and it will be the first company in the world to introduce equipment for producing its proprietary transparent continuous sheets in the second half of fiscal 2017. Through the introduction of this equipment, it is working diligently to verify reductions in manufacturing energy consumption and establish mass-production technology, while expanding sample provision to users at the commercialization stage. In addition, the CNF thickener Auro Visco was formally adopted as a thickener for automotive chemical products sold to general consumers in Japan, and provision began in May 2017.」

「The Company is pursuing CNF with particular vigor as a future core business. Its demonstration plant for producing its proprietary phosphorylated CNF slurry began operating in December 2016. It also decided to be the first company in the world to introduce equipment for producing transparent continuous sheets, a capability achieved only by the Company, in the second half of fiscal 2017. Through the introduction of this equipment, the Company is working to verify reductions in manufacturing energy consumption and establish mass-production technology, while expanding the scale of sample provision to users at the commercialization stage. It will also contribute to revitalizing the CNF market by developing a broad range of other applications, including the CNF thickener Auro Visco, scheduled to go on sale in April 2017.」

「The Group is conducting agile and efficient R&D activities led by the Innovation Promotion Headquarters, while working closely with related divisions across the Group in areas such as cellulose nanofibers and water treatment technologies, where demand is expected to grow, to create innovative value. For cellulose nanofibers, the Company planned to begin operating a demonstration plant for producing its proprietary phosphorylated cellulose nanofiber slurry in November 2016. It also decided to be the first company in the world to introduce production equipment for its proprietary transparent continuous sheets in the second half of fiscal 2017.」

「The Group is conducting agile and efficient R&D activities led by the Innovation Promotion Headquarters, while working closely with related divisions across the Group in areas such as cellulose nanofibers and water treatment technologies, where demand is expected to grow, to create innovative value.」

「The Innovation Promotion Division conducts research and development aimed at creating innovative value, serving as the driving force behind the creation of new businesses and products that will support the Oji Group of tomorrow, in addition to developing new products that rapidly incorporate user needs.」