On 14 September, the Oil & Fat Industrial Hall held the inaugural presentation of awards for outstanding papers in the oil and fat industry and the FY2025 research group activity report meeting simultaneously. Technical presentations and business reports were presented separately, with online streaming also provided.
In its opening remarks, the association explained the purpose behind its establishment and outlined a policy of emphasizing voluntary proposals for solutions to industry challenges. Papers were solicited under 2 themes, “A Sustainable Society and the Future of the Oil and Fat Industry” and “Collaborative Innovation between the Oil and Fat Industry and Other Industries,” with Outstanding Awards and a Grand Prize selected.
The Outstanding Awards went to Kao’s Nonaka Nobuhiro (野中伸洋) and Irie Yutaka (入江裕) for “Termites Linking African Self-Sufficiency in Oils and Fats with a Circular Society,” and Kao’s Namba Aya (難波綾) for “A Platform for Reducing Dengue Fever and Malaria through Collaboration between the Oil and Fat Industry and ICT.” The Grand Prize went to Miyoshi Oil & Fat’s Manabe Noritaka (真鍋宣隆) for “A Proposal for an Environmentally Friendly Oil and Fat Industry through Pongamia Planting and Next-Generation Refining and Monetization Systems.”
The research group report focused on supply chain transformation through DX and compiled the results of a year of research into a report. It identified challenges including geopolitical risks, labor shortages, information disconnects and insufficient standardization associated with the 2024 problem.
The report highlighted the need for collaborative DX to bridge the divide between SCM and ECM. It proposed clarifying noncompetitive areas, including data definitions, common formats and connection rules, and starting with visualization and the articulation of information. It also called for industry associations to serve as venues for practical verification and advocated strengthening resilience across the entire industry toward 2040.