Interview: R&D

Research and Development at Tosoh

Strengthening open innovation initiatives to accelerate the development of products and technologies that resolve social issues

Tosoh has been consolidating its research and development (R&D) bases to enhance the efficiency of its R&D functions and technological synergies. In fiscal 2020, operations began at two new research buildings, one each at the Nanyo and Yokkaichi Complexes in Japan.

Tosoh Director and Executive Vice President Masayuki Yamada is also the general manager of Research and Development Planning. He here responds to questions regarding the Tosoh Group’s efforts to accelerate its product and technology development.

 

"There are numerous convergent research themes in interdisciplinary fields of our business that hold promise for innovation...By developing the technologies needed by society and offering products sought after by customers, we hope to fulfill our responsibility as a chemical company."

Masayuki Yamada 

  • Q1. Please tell us about Tosoh’s R&D structure and basic policy

    We have seven research laboratories working on the three priority fields of electronic materials, life science, and environment and energy.

    Chemical manufacturers have an increasingly important role to play in the realization of a sustainable and prosperous society. Based on the concept of CSV [creating shared value, the idea that strategic responses to social issues contributes to long-term corporate growth], the Tosoh Group aims for innovative products and technologies of unprecedented value. We prioritize R&D themes guided by the Sustainable Development Goals [or SDGs adopted by the United Nations in 2015 and consisting of 17 goals and 169 targets for 2030 that apply to all countries for building a sustainable, diverse, and inclusive world through a pledge to leave no one behind].

    In 2015, we changed our R&D structure. We organized seven research laboratories by technological and functional areas to accelerate R&D and strengthen collaboration between business units and laboratories. We also similarly reorganized our seven laboratories into three centers to heighten synergies: The Polymer Materials Research Laboratory, Inorganic Materials Research Laboratory, Organic Materials Research Laboratory and Polyurethane Research Laboratory support product development of existing businesses;  The Life Science Research Laboratory, Advanced Materials Research Laboratory, and Functional Polymers Research Laboratory serves to develop basic technologies and new fields. These seven labs were then placed under the control of Research and Development Planning, which undertakes R&D proposals as well as planning.

    Three Priority R&D Fields

    Electronic Materials

    ● Communication materials
    ● Semiconductor materials
    ● Printable electronics materials
    ● Display materials

    Life Science

    ● Biopharmaceuticals
    ● Biomedical materials
    ● Diagnostic systems and tests
    ● Healthcare

    Environment and Energy

    ● Composite materials for mobility
    ● Energy conversion materials
    ● Battery materials
    ● Technologies to combat CO2 and marine plastics

    Our basic policy for R&D, beginning with the previous medium-term business plan, was to establish the three priority fields of electronic materials, life sciences, and environment and energy. We have been aggressively investing in R&D and engaging in joint industry-academic research and open innovation in those fields ever since.

    Our self-doped conducting polymer SELFTRON® is a prominent product to emerge from our restructured, reorganized R&D in recent years. SELFTRON exhibits the highest conductivity among all the world’s self-doped conductive polymers and is highly regarded as a breakthrough electronic material. It does not require additives and can be applied, impregnated, or mixed and heated to impart electrical conductivity to materials and substrates. We formed a research group in October 2019 to collaborate with industry and academia in exploring SELFTRON's possibilities for application.

    In our life science work, we have developed a reagent that can detect the coronavirus with accurately and easily using our automated molecular analyzer. We are also developing reagents to test for coronavirus antibodies in our fully automated chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay analyzer.

    Our efforts on behalf of the environment and energy, meanwhile, have led to our development of Emidelete®. This innovation scavenges the aldehydes that are recognized as a cause of sick building syndrome. We are proposing it to combat volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in homes and in automobiles. It is entirely safe and overcomes the inability of conventional scavengers to capture acetaldehyde.

  • Q2. Tell us more about your open innovation initiatives

    In addition to collaborating with industry, government, and academia, the Tosoh Group is working with venture capitalists to foster open innovation.

    Engaging in open innovation allows us to quickly anticipate and respond to market changes brought about by digitalization and globalization. We established social collaboration courses, for instance, for joint development projects related to high-silica zeolite and zirconia at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering in June 2019 and July 2020, respectively. We are also collaborating with the Institute of Medical Science of the University of Tokyo to jointly develop advanced biopharmaceuticals, and we’re exploring a new urinary marker for diabetes with Niigata University, among other open innovation initiatives with more universities.

    The Tosoh Group’s collaboration with industry, government, and academia includes participation in projects with organizations such as Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). In August 2020, NEDO, the Tosoh Group, and Bando Chemical Industries, Ltd., selected the theme the “Development of cost-reducing technology for manufacturing cellulose nanofiber (CNF)–reinforced chloroprene rubber (CR) for use in transmission belts” as a subsidized joint project.

    CNF is a biomass-derived, high-performance fiber that is one-fifth the weight yet five times the strength of steel. To meet expectations for CNF’s commercialization, Tosoh aims with Bando to significantly reduce manufacturing costs.

    The Tosoh Group is an energy-intensive global array of companies. We have thus positioned the reduction and use of CO2 emissions as an important theme. In addition to reducing our energy consumption through efficient use, we are searching for ways to utilize our CO2 emissions.

    In September 2020, NEDO commissioned Tosoh [and Kyushu University] to conduct a study—“Research and development on energy-saving CO2 capture technology using an innovative CO2 separation membrane”—in response to their jointly submitted proposal to that end. Also in September 2020, NEDO commissioned Tosoh [and its project partners National University Corporation Tohoku University, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Ube Industries, Ltd., Keiwa Kogyo Co., Ltd., Tohzai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Toppan Printing Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics Corporation] for another study, into “Developing liquid-phase hybrid recycling technologies for multilayer plastic films.”

    Two Tosoh Group employees, meanwhile, have been dispatched from Japan to Silicon Valley in the United States to work with material and biotech venture capitalists on gathering information regarding acquiring innovative technologies. We screen and thematize that information and undertake joint research with partner companies in our research labs. We are also considering investing in promising venture companies.


    Key CSV Results for Fiscal Year 2020

    Electronic Materials: Self-doped conducting polymer Selftron

    Selftron features excellent water solubility and durability. The coating, impregnation, and printing of materials and substrates with Selftron lend them extraordinary conductive properties. Selftron is expected to be used as an organic electronic material for touch sensors, capacitors, and organic solar cells.

    Life Science: Coronavirus test reagent for use with Tosoh’s automated molecular analyzer

    A biological specimen that has undergone a simple preprocessing procedure is placed in Tosoh’s automated molecular analyzer. It then takes the analyzer about 40 minutes to determine if coronavirus RNA is present. The new reagent streamlines specimen inspection and reduces the workload of medical and laboratory personnel. (Refer to page 27.)

    Environment and Energy: Aldehyde scavenger Emidelete

    Applying Emidelete to sources of aldehydes, such as automobile interiors and building materials, can prevent the release of aldehydes, a causative agent of sick building syndrome. Spraying it into scrubbers and ducts in factories and other facilities likewise enables the capture of aldehydes in exhaust gas.


    NEDO-Subsidized Projects for Fiscal Year 2020: Leading Energy and Environment Research Programs

    New Technology Feasibility Study Program

    ● Research and development on energy-saving CO2 capture technology using an innovative CO2 separation membrane

    ● Development of liquid-phase hybrid recycling technologies for multilayer plastic films

    Nanofiber technology development

    ● Development of cost-reducing technology for manufacturing CNF-reinforced CR for use in transmission belts

  • Q3. What does Tosoh hope to achieve by establishing new research buildings and by consolidating research centers?

    The renovation of our research infrastructure is a stepping-stone to technological integration and strengthened research themes. That reorganization, in 2015, clarified and specified the roles of each laboratory and center.

    But collaborative challenges remain. The development, for example, of automotive and battery materials often involves multiple research laboratories. Given this, we thought it was important that these laboratories collaborate on both materials and business development through cross-organizational communication. We decided, therefore, to replace the aging research buildings at the Nanyo and Yokkaichi Complexes and to consolidate research at the two new research bases.

    The Yokkaichi Complex is an R&D base for petrochemical and polymer products, with polymer and urethane laboratories spread out throughout the complex. We have enhanced its capabilities for joint development with customers, introducing the latest equipment and expanding the R&D area to fortify its customer laboratory function.

    At the Nanyo Complex, we have brought together researchers in organic and inorganic materials in the new research building. We will complete an analysis building at the complex in fiscal year 2022 that will expand our analysis and evaluation capabilities. We’ve also scheduled the installation of state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance equipment at the Nanyo Complex.

  • Q4. What areas will Tosoh focus on going forward?

    We will apply materials informatics, or MI, to improve the efficiency of the R&D process.

    To strengthen our R&D, we are promoting the use of MI [materials informatics, an R&D method that integrates and organizes data on materials, applies data mining techniques to extract the desired information, and enhances the efficiency of new material research compared with conventional experimental methods]. We have already accumulated a wealth of experimental data on urethane materials, high-silica zeolites, and zirconia. And we believe that MI will improve the efficiency of the material development process and reduce time and costs.

    In April 2019, we formed a team of full-time staff at the Tokyo Research Center’s Advanced Materials Laboratory to promote the use of MI across various fields. All seven of our laboratories in Japan have since introduced electronic lab notebooks and are developing an infrastructure for the centralized management of experimental data obtained from them. This infrastructure enables all of our researchers to access the same platform and use it as a research information retrieval tool daily.

    Beyond the installation of hardware, we also need to train people to use MI. Without MI experts, we won’t see results. We plan to expand to about 40 people the number of our staff in Japan working in MI and to launch an MI center in fiscal year 2024.

    There are numerous convergent research themes in interdisciplinary fields of our business that hold promise for innovation. Building a systematic knowledge transfer system and sharing accumulated intellectual resources in a superior and agile manner will accelerate our R&D efforts. By developing the technologies needed by society and offering products sought after by customers, we hope to fulfill our responsibility as a chemical company.

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