Creation of new businesses

「In FY2024, we launched a material containing 8-prenylnaringenin, a metabolite of polyphenols found in hops, under the product name “Astrohop®.”」

「In the health food business, we conduct R&D focused on compounds produced in the body by intestinal bacteria, or intestinal bacterial metabolites. Following the launch in FY2021 of “Urolith®,” a material containing urolithin A, a metabolite of polyphenols found in pomegranates, we are advancing the development of materials containing metabolites of hop-derived polyphenols and other intestinal metabolites.」

「In May 2023, our R&D on urolithin A as a functional food ingredient received the FY2023 Technology Award from the Japanese Society of Nutrition and Food Science. Urolithin A, one of the intestinal metabolites of ellagic acid found in pomegranates, is a functional food ingredient expected to provide various health benefits through cell reactivation. We were the first company in the world to achieve commercial production using fermentation and began selling it under the product name “Urolith®” in May 2021.」

「In October 2022, we established the “One-Time Energy Joint Research Program” with Kumamoto University’s Institute of Industrial Nanomaterials.」

「In April 2022, we established the Biomass Innovation Center and the Institute for Inorganic Composite Implementation Research to further accelerate co-creation among industry, industry, academia, academia, government and government toward realizing the “Four Shifts” for building a circular society set out in the medium-term strategy “Accelerate 2025-II.” We also established the Life Science Business Planning Office, which consolidates products and services, R&D and marketing functions related to the medical field, with the aim of developing the medical field into an SBU by strengthening needs identification and expanding business synergies.」

「To date, we have developed a material containing equol, an intestinal metabolite of soybean isoflavones. In May 2021, we launched a material containing urolithin A, a metabolite of polyphenols found in pomegranates, under the product name “Urolith®.”」

「We developed “BELLOCEA®” (ベルロセア), spherical microparticles of cellulose acetate, and began sales in December 2020.」

「In December 2020, vaccination began for enrolled subjects, healthy adults, in the “Phase I/II Clinical Trial of a COVID-19 DNA Vaccine” conducted by Osaka University Hospital, a physician-initiated clinical trial, using our new drug-delivery device.」

「In March 2020, we provided our “Actranza™ Lab” technology, a new drug-delivery device for delivering drugs into cells, for the joint development by Osaka University and AnGes,Inc. of a DNA vaccine for COVID-19.」

「Effective 1 October 2019, we reorganized our corporate functions. By integrating certain functions of the Production Technology Headquarters, the R&D Headquarters and the New Business Development Office, we established the new Business Creation Headquarters to accelerate the expansion, launch and commercialization of new business themes.」

「In July 2019, we established a new joint research program, the “Advanced Science and Technology Joint Research Program,” and its laboratory at Kanazawa University, with the aim of creating new products in the cellulose field, our core business.」

「The chiral separation business, including optical isomer separation columns, reported lower revenue because sales of packing materials declined, although the new business grew steadily.」

「From 29 January 2019, we began offering “Actranza™ Lab,” a jet injector independently developed using our pyrotechnic engineering technology.」

「We have installed new mass-production equipment for silver nan ink at our Arai Plant, with operations scheduled to begin in January 2019. Our silver nano ink is characterized by its ability to achieve low resistance through low-temperature processing, including on plastic substrates, while delivering excellent printability. The new mass-production equipment will enable us to respond quickly to new needs and explore new applications together with our customers.」

「Effective 1 August 2018, we acquired Lomapharm, a German contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing company comprising LOMA Holding GmbH, Lomapharm Rudolf Lohmann GmbH KG and Lomapharm Verwaltungs GmbH. Going forward, we will work closely with Lomapharm to accelerate growth in the medical field, which we have positioned as one of the pillars of our new business areas.」

「Based on the medium-term plan “3D-III” announced in May 2017, the R&D division continues to work on creating new businesses and strengthening existing businesses. For new business creation, we are concentrating management resources on five “new business unit candidates” identified in our focus areas of medical and healthcare and electronics.」

「We are pursuing the commercialization of functional materials, including functional films, optical components, pharmaceutical excipients and functional food materials, whose market and customer development has advanced. Our aim is to create businesses that leverage the strengths of our proprietary materials, increase processing sophistication and enable us to propose products with advanced functions to customers.」

「To build a new manufacturing system leading to new business creation, we established the Mechatronics Technology Center and Simulation Technology Center within the Production Technology Division on 1 December 2017 and are working to strengthen core mechatronics and simulation technologies and accelerate their deployment across the Company.」

「As part of our open innovation initiatives, following the joint research chair in high-speed energy therapy launched with Osaka University in 2016, we began a joint research chair in shock science in April 2017. The new chair conducts research into the fundamental principles of shock phenomena generated during the combustion of high-energy materials and develops technologies for applying those principles.」

「Regarding new business creation, we will concentrate management resources on 5 “new business unit candidates” identified in the priority areas of medical and healthcare and electronics. To implement these initiatives, we established the New Business Development Office on 1 April 2017.」

「We will accelerate the growth of existing businesses and the creation of new business units through proactive investment, including M&A. For new business units, we aim to build the next pillars of growth by leveraging open innovation to broadly incorporate ideas from customers outside the Group, universities and other sources.」

「The results are increasingly indicating the potential for an innovative technology leading to entirely new drug-delivery and treatment methods that cannot be achieved with conventional medical devices. We decided to create a one-of-a-kind technology based on this and pursue new business creation through industry-academia collaboration, with a view to expanding substantially into the healthcare field.」

「As part of the creation of new business units set out in the long-term vision Grand Vision 2020, we are advancing product development and market development in the medical and healthcare fields. In this context, we have worked with academic institutions to verify the potential for creating a new healthcare-related business based on explosives engineering technology. The results are increasingly indicating the potential for an innovative technology leading to entirely new drug-delivery and treatment methods that cannot be achieved with conventional medical devices.」

「“Creation of new businesses”」