Expansion into High-Growth Markets and Strengthening Product and Development Capabilities

「全般的に大型案件を中心に成約の遅延傾向が見られる中、重点分野として注力しているメンテナンスサービス事業は拡大傾向を示しました。」

「Although delays in contracting, particularly for large projects, were seen across the board, the maintenance services business, a priority area, showed a growth trend. Among equipment and systems, food-related demand remained firm, while capital investment projects from related industries increased as geopolitical risks grew.」

「In the first quarter, we received orders for a large project to reuse lignin, a plant-derived organic compound that had previously been discarded and has attracted attention as an SDGs-related project, as well as a large project for secondary-battery electrode materials, providing an encouraging start. However, following major changes in trade policy resulting from the inauguration of the second Trump administration, deferrals of capital investment decisions, particularly for large projects, have become increasingly pronounced.」

「As the pace of growth in electric vehicle (BEV) demand slowed and automakers in Japan and overseas reviewed their electrification strategies, there was a marked increase in the deferral of investment decisions, particularly for projects related to secondary-battery electrode materials.」

「The trend toward placing orders ahead of schedule in anticipation of long lead times has begun to subside. In addition, given uncertainty over the future economic environment, including geopolitical risks and the downturn in the Chinese economy, investment decisions have generally begun to be deferred. For secondary-battery-related projects as well, there has been a growing global movement to assess developments in the BEV market.」

「Applications in the pharmaceutical and resin sectors, where large projects were contracted, increased substantially year on year. Although inquiries remained strong, particularly for secondary-battery electrode materials, some projects have begun to show delays due to deferred investment decisions.」

「Electronic materials, including those for secondary-battery electrode materials, remained on an expansionary trend toward achieving a sustainable society. Food-related applications also remained strong, particularly processes for handling legumes used as ingredients in plant-based meat, known as the protein shift, where demand is increasing.」

「Amid global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, electronic materials, including secondary batteries, continued on an expansionary trend, while chemicals, which have a broad range of applications, food and maintenance services remained firm.」

「In line with the global shift toward BEVs, inquiries for electronic materials, including secondary batteries, continued to expand, while mineral-related applications and maintenance services remained firm.」

「Orders for large projects for secondary batteries, where demand continues to increase toward achieving carbon neutrality, overlapped, resulting in a substantial increase in electronic materials-related demand. Demand from the food and chemical sectors also remained firm.」

「Demand increased for electronic materials, particularly secondary batteries, amid continued strong investment to support the rapid shift toward electrification. Pharmaceutical applications also grew, particularly active pharmaceutical ingredients, as production returns to domestic locations to mitigate geopolitical risk, and culture media for biopharmaceutical equipment prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Food-related applications, including the protein shift and insect-based foods attracting attention under the SDGs, also increased. Systems for grinding polyester film for recycling remained firm.」

「In the third quarter, inquiries for electronic materials, particularly secondary batteries, materialized as orders in line with the shift toward electrification, and orders for these applications increased substantially. Orders from nearly all other industries and applications also remained at high levels.」

「In addition to sustained strength in cell culture media applications, pharmaceutical applications, including active pharmaceutical ingredients, generally remained strong. Food-related orders also remained high, including an order from Northern Europe for equipment to dry and grind insects. Excluding electronic materials, particularly secondary batteries, which declined as a reaction from the same period of the previous year, orders increased in nearly all markets and applications, including chemicals, minerals, after-sales services and contract processing.」

「Orders for pharmaceutical applications, particularly cell culture media, and mineral applications, including systems for grinding heavy calcium carbonate, increased substantially. Orders for electronic materials, particularly secondary batteries, which included a large project contracted in the first quarter of the previous fiscal year, declined as a reaction to that increase, but other applications and sectors were generally firm.」

「As economic activity resumes, we will seek to expand sales in East Asia and Southeast Asia, where growth expectations remain high, and in Latin America and Africa, where future growth is expected. In cooperation with group companies, we will continue reviewing products, sales strategies and sales networks suited to each country and region.」

「Demand from the electronic materials sector, particularly secondary batteries, has remained firm, while the chemical industry has also begun to show signs of improvement. In addition, orders were received broadly across other sectors.」

「Demand from the electronic materials sector, particularly secondary batteries, has remained firm, while maintenance services and contract processing, which were significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, have continued to improve. In addition, demand for shredders used to recycle plastic film increased.」

「Demand for electronic materials, centered on secondary batteries, remained firm amid continued strong capital investment worldwide toward electrification, while all fields, including pharmaceuticals and chemicals, remained generally solid. The contract processing business, which had declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, also began to show signs of recovery.」

「Some markets showed a cautious stance because of constraints on sales activities caused by the spread of COVID-19 and customers postponing investment decisions. However, the electronic materials market, centered on secondary battery materials, and the food market remained firm.」

「Orders for chemicals and electronic materials, which had declined as the effects of the previous fiscal year faded, increased on contributions from large projects. However, orders from other markets and applications struggled to grow, with some customers taking a cautious approach to placing orders.」

「Orders for chemicals and electronic materials, where large projects had continued in the previous fiscal year, increased with contributions from large projects, while orders for pharmaceuticals and minerals, aftermarket services and contract processing remained generally firm.」

「Since the second half of the previous fiscal year, orders for pharmaceuticals have shown signs of recovery, while orders related to minerals and recycling and in the aftermarket business remained firm. However, orders for chemicals, electronic materials and food, where large projects had continued in the previous fiscal year, declined as the effects of those projects faded.」

「Since the second half of the previous fiscal year, orders for pharmaceuticals have been recovering, while orders related to minerals and recycling and in the aftermarket business remained firm. However, orders for chemicals and electronic materials, where large projects had continued in the previous fiscal year, declined as the effects of those projects faded.」

「①　Further business expansion into growth markets, including emerging economies and new fields, through stronger global marketing」

「Orders remained broadly firm across electronic materials such as magnets and ceramics, chemicals, minerals and aftermarket services.」

「Orders expanded broadly across food-related applications, electronic materials such as magnets, chemicals and minerals.」

「Further business expansion into growth markets, including emerging economies and new fields, through stronger global marketing」

「Orders expanded globally as demand remained firm for food, chemicals and minerals, while demand for electronic materials such as magnets and secondary batteries and for pharmaceuticals also remained steady.」

「Orders expanded globally, particularly for electronic materials used in chemicals, pharmaceuticals and magnets.」

「The company aims to sustain its growth trend by strengthening its ability to expand its business in high-growth markets and enhancing its product and development capabilities.」