Opening ceremony for Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH
Asahi Kasei Corp.
Asahi Kasei Europe held an opening ceremony on June 16, 2016 (local time), in Dusseldorf, Germany. The ceremony was attended by some 200 people including Mr. Burkhard Hintzsche, City Director of Dusseldorf; Mr. Ryuta Mizuuchi, Consul General in Dusseldorf; government officials, customers, and other parties from Germany, Europe, and Japan.
Business expansion for automotive-related applications is positioned as a strategic area of focus in the Asahi Kasei Group’s Material business sector, and Asahi Kasei is currently reinforcing marketing, R&D, and technical support to swiftly and efficiently respond to customers’ needs in automotive-related applications. In Germany, a leading market in European automotive and related industries, Asahi Kasei launched Asahi Kasei Europe this April to establish deeper ties with the European automotive industry and to accelerate the expansion of business in Europe.
The operating climate surrounding the automotive industry is changing dramatically as demand for eco-friendly vehicles grows, and new innovations such as self-driving vehicle technology and the “internet of things” (IoT) continue to advance. Asahi Kasei Europe will proactively work to organically coordinate among various product fields to create new value proposals including unrivaled technical support.
Asahi Kasei Europe functions as a central base for all operations of Asahi Kasei in Europe, working to enhance Asahi Kasei’s presence and maximize earnings in the European market while contributing to the economic growth of Europe.
Profile of Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH
- Location
- Dusseldorf, Germany
- President
- Hideki Tsutsumi
- Paid-in capital
- €1 million
- Shareholder
- Asahi Kasei Corp. (100%)
- Business line
- Sales and marketing of chemicals, polymers, fibers, and electronic devices
- Start-up
- April 1, 2016
From left: Hideki Tsutsumi, President of Asahi Kasei Europe;
Ottmar Flach, CEO of Atlantik Networxx AG;
Satoru Tamura, President of Asahi Kasei Microdevices
Comment from Asahi Kasei Vice-President Yuji Kobayashi
Today we are extremely happy to hold the opening ceremony for Asahi Kasei Europe. In April the Asahi Kasei Group reorganized its business portfolio into the three sectors of Material, Homes, and Health Care. Chemicals, fibers, and electronics businesses were combined into the Material business sector, with an aim to facilitate greater integration among customers, regions, and products within the sector. The new configuration enhances our ability to make new value proposals to customers.
In the Material sector we are emphasizing the automotive market and the European market. We have a wide range of automotive-related products, from lead-acid battery separator and Li-ion battery separator to fuel-efficient tire rubber, fiber materials for upholstery and airbags, engineering plastics to substitute for metal, and various sensors and devices for automotive electronic systems.
The European automotive industry is very attractive to Asahi Kasei in terms of both advanced functionality and technology, and an important strategic target under our new three-year management initiative. Asahi Kasei will work to enhance its presence in Europe by providing competitive and useful products.
Comment from Asahi Kasei Europe President Hideki Tsutsumi
I am truly grateful for all the support we received for the establishment of Asahi Kasei Europe from official agencies, the local community, and many suppliers and business partners. Germany holds a core position in the global automotive field, and our location in Dusseldorf will enable us to deepen our connections with the European automotive industry, develop markets in Europe, and accelerate the growth of our automotive-related operations. Asahi Kasei Europe will function as a comprehensive base for the Asahi Kasei Group, heightening our presence in Europe, and enabling us to maximize earnings. By supplying superior products and technical service, we will support the development of the European automotive industry and contribute to the local community.