March 11, 2008
Asahi Kasei Corporation

Revision of group management configuration
 
The Asahi Kasei Group will reconfigure the management structure for its businesses related to electrochemicals* and medical devices to better facilitate the sustained expansion and growth of operations in these two key business fields.

As part of the Asahi Kasei Group's Growth Action – 2010 mid-range initiative for the fiscal years 2006 through 2010, electrochemicals-related operations and medical devices-related operations are marked as key fields for strategic expansion, with a number of substantial investments being made to drive their development and growth. The renewed management configuration will enhance the position of these operations for greater sustained growth beyond fiscal 2011.

In the new configuration, these businesses will be operated as direct subsidiaries of Asahi Kasei Corp., the holding company for the Asahi Kasei Group. With a clearly delineated focus for growth in these fields, the reconfiguration will bring greater management efficiency for swifter decision-making and resource allocation.

* Electronic materials based on chemical technology used in applications such as semiconductor packaging, displays, and batteries.
 
Overview of the reconfiguration
Electrochemicals-related:
 
  The electrochemicals-related operations of Asahi Kasei's New Business Development organ and those of its wholly owned subsidiaries Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp. and Asahi Kasei EMD Corp., core operating companies of the Asahi Kasei Group, will transfer to a newly established core operating company on April 1, 2009.

To prepare for the integration of these operations, Electrochemicals Business Integration will be established as an organ of Asahi Kasei on April 1, 2008. The organizational entities to be integrated in the new core operating company are as follows.
 
  From New Business Development, Asahi Kasei
 
  • Marketing Center for FPC/FPD Materials
  • Relevant portions of Central R&D Laboratories
  • Other related organs
 
  From Asahi Kasei Chemicals
 
  • Hipore & Battery Materials Division (Hipore™ Li-ion rechargeable battery separators)
  • Photoproducts & Epoxy Resins Division (APR™, AFP™, and AWP™ photopolymer; epoxy resin; etc.)
  • Relevant portions of Polymer Products Division (light diffusion plates, etc.)
  • Other related organs
 
  From Asahi Kasei EMD
 
  • Electronics Materials Division (Pimel™ photosensitive polyimide precursor)
  • Electronics Interconnecting Materials Division (Sunfort™ dry film photoresist)
  • Electronics Insulation Materials Division (glass fabric for printed wiring boards)
  • Electronics Performance Products Division (photomask pellicles, etc.)
  • Other related organs
 
Medical devices-related:
 
  Medical devices-related businesses are currently operated by Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Kasei Pharma Corp., and by Asahi Kasei Kuraray Medical Co., Ltd., 93% owned by Asahi Kasei Pharma and 7% owned by Kuraray Medical Inc. Asahi Kasei Pharma is a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Kasei and a core operating company of the Asahi Kasei Group. Asahi Kasei Pharma's ownership of the two subsidiaries operating medical devices-related businesses will transfer to Asahi Kasei on October 1, 2008.

The businesses of the medical devices-related subsidiaries are shown below.
 
  Asahi Kasei Medical
  Development, production, and sale of Sepacell™ leukocyte reduction filters and Planova™ virus removal filters.
 
  Asahi Kasei Kuraray Medical
  Development, production, and sale of artificial kidneys (APS™ polysulfone-membrane artificial kidneys, etc.) and therapeutic apheresis devices.

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