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December 19, 2007 |
Asahi Kasei Corporation
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Construction of new integrated research complex
Acceleration of new business development, collaborative R&D
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Asahi Kasei will construct a new integrated research complex within its plant and laboratory grounds in Fuji City, Shizuoka. The new complex will serve as a key base for R&D to develop new businesses with innovative technology precisely aligned with market needs in targeted fields ranging from electronic and optical materials to energy-related technology, in accordance with its Growth Action – 2010 strategic medium-term initiative. Construction will entail an investment of some ¥10 billion, with groundbreaking scheduled for August 2008 and completion in August 2009.
The new research complex will feature large clean rooms to enable the use of a wide range of research equipment and apparatus compatible with high-definition and high-purity experimentation, sample preparation, evaluation and testing, and volume production of prototypes. In order to obtain maximum synergy from among the diverse technologies of the Asahi Kasei Group, flexibility will be maintained with respect to the specific variety of equipment and apparatus installed at any given time. The result will be greater speed in the strategic development of new businesses in the targeted fields.
The new complex will serve to extend and advance the Asahi Kasei Group's approach to R&D which emphasizes the combination of established core technologies with emerging technologies, yielding a high-level synthesis of new technology. As this frequently entails joint and collaborative R&D with outside organizations, the complex will be designed to facilitate cooperative work. Such interchange will enable higher-level R&D results to be obtained more quickly, in direct contact with markets and users.
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| Features of the integrated research complex |
| ·Large clean rooms |
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Each of the clean rooms will be large enough to accommodate equipment for volume production of prototype products and for applications evaluation, enabling quick and seamless advancement to marketing activities. |
| ·Facilities for joint work |
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A full range of installations will be incorporated to facilitate collaboration with customers, universities, research institutions, and other outside organizations. |
| ·Global information sharing |
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The complex will utilize advanced IT infrastructure and include venues for hosting international meetings, discussions, forums, and symposiums. |
| ·Ecology and ergonomics |
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The latest energy conservation technology and a rooftop gardening system will be incorporated. The workspace will be designed for ergonomic comfort and efficiency. |
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| Overview of the integrated research complex |
| Location: |
Asahi Kasei Group plant and laboratory site in Fuji City, Shizuoka |
| Lot size: |
19,000 m2 |
| Floor space: |
22,000 m2 |
| Laboratory building: |
4-story, 15,000 m2 floor space |
| Annex: |
5-story, 7,000 m2 floor space; |
| Investment: |
¥10 billion |
| Groundbreaking: |
August 2008 |
| Completion: |
August 2009 |
| Targeted fields of research: |
Electronic and optical materials, energy-related technologies |
| Personnel: |
300 |
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| Fuji as an R&D center |
| The location at the Fuji site will enable interaction with the diverse range of research facilities there, including those of Asahi Kasei, the holding company of the Asahi Kasei Group, and of core operating companies Asahi Kasei Chemicals, Asahi Kasei EMD, Asahi Kasei Pharma, and Asahi Kasei Homes which just opened a new housing R&D center at the site in October 2007. The construction of the new complex reinforces the central position of Fuji as the core site for R&D in the Asahi Kasei Group. |
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