R&D Initiatives Related to Intellectual Property
Basic thinking about intellectual property
The Daicel Group respects intellectual property rights held by third parties, recognizes that the intellectual property rights held by the Company (patent rights, utility model rights, trademark rights, design rights, etc.) are important assets, and strives to maintain and protect those rights.
Investing in Intellectual Property and Intangible Assets
With the basic philosophy of remaining a company that makes lives better by co-creating value, the Daicel Group invests in intellectual property and other intangible assets in order to continue providing value. At the same time, we remain committed to meeting the needs of society while sharing a philosophy that transcends the limitations of companies and industries.
Internal system related to intellectual property
In the Intellectual Property Center, under the slogan of "Proactive IP," we are engaged in intellectual property activities led by an intellectual property activity team consisting of (1) Business and Planning Divisions, (2) the Research & Development Division, and (3) the Intellectual Property Center. By "creating" and "exploiting" intellectual properties, we support our monozukuri manufacturing, and by "combining" intellectual properties, we promote innovations that lead to new business creation, enhance Daicel's brand power, and bolster business of the Daicel Group. As clarified in Daicel's "Accelerate 2025" Mid-term Management Strategy, along with "Research" and "Development," we will strengthen intellectual property activities as one of the means to accelerate "Innovation and Business Development."
Intellectual Property Center's Vision

Intellectual Property Activity Team

Approximately 35 intellectual property activity teams in Daicel and its group companies are involved in the certification of inventions, decision-making on whether to file a patent application for an invention or keep it as confidential know-how, patenting, judgments on the necessity of patent maintenance, patent exploitation, examination and avoidance of possible infringement of other companies' patents, and response to patent litigation.
Innovation and Business Development under the Mid-Term Management Strategy, "Accelerate 2025"



Promoting the IP Landscape, "a Compass for Management, Business and Research"
With a dedicated team set up in 2019 to manage our IP Landscape (IPL), Daicel's Intellectual Property Center is moving ahead with the development and constructive use of our IPL. By IPL, we mean "to tap into all available information, not only intellectual property but also technologies, papers, markets, companies, politics, laws, etc. so that we can visualize the situation in which Daicel's management, business, and research are placed, and plot a path to ensure these activities are successful." Based on this idea, we view an IPL as "a compass for management, business, and research" and promoting our activities.
In addition, since these activities cannot be achieved by the Intellectual Property Center alone, we are proceeding in close cooperation with relevant divisions on individual specific R&D themes and business planning themes. Now that the awareness of our IPL is growing within our company, this IPL is beginning to play a role in the decision-making of each business unit. We are making efforts every day so that our IPL can help open doors to the future of Daicel.
Human Resources Development
We are working to improve the intellectual property literacy of our engineers through a human resources development program implemented in collaboration between the Intellectual Property Center and Personnel Group.
- 1Implementation of rank-specific training (new employees, mid-career employees, new managers)
- 2Provision of e-learning (protection of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and know-how; patent search and analysis, etc.)
- 3Introduction of “Intellectual Property Management Technician Grade 3” qualification as one of the requirements for promotion to managerial positions in engineering departments
Activity Results
Participation in WIPO GREEN
The Daicel Group has registered its environment-related technologies with "WIPO GREEN," an environment-related technology exchange platform operated by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which is a specialized agency of the United Nations, aiming to contribute to "Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."
Having been a "partner" in WIPO GREEN since April 2020, Daicel's initiatives are also introduced on the following page of the Patent Office's website.
Japan Patent Office Website: Collaboration with WIPO GREEN
- *As of April 2021. Registration numbers shown here were issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
- Lightweight and high mechanical strength plastic reinforced by rayon fiber
- Fiber-reinforced resin composition (US9096750)
- Chromic acid free plating
- Plating resin molded article and process for producing the same (US7645370)
- Catalyst for conducting chemical reactions under mild conditions
- Catalyst comprised of n-substituted cyclic imides and processes for preparing organic compounds with the catalyst (US7084090)
- Catalyst comprising cyclic acylurea compounds and processes for production organic compounds with the same (US7091342)
- Process for producing cyclic N-hydroxy imide compounds (US7582774)
- Method for producing oxidation product of cycloalkane (US7834217)
Utilization of Intellectual Property in Standardization
A quantification method of sparkle phenomenon on displays*, which was jointly developed with Komatsu NTC Ltd., was adopted as Japan Industrial Standards (JIS) under the title of "Determination of magnitude of display sparkle" (JIS C 1006) on December 20, 2019.
The method and equipment to numerically calculate sparkle have been patented as “Equipment and Method of Determining Sparkle” (JP Patent No. 6294904), and Daicel and Komatsu have announced they will license this patent on reasonable and non-discriminatory (“RAND”) terms.
- *A phenomenon in which the uneven structure of anti-glare display surface diffuses the light emitted from the display, causing sparkle of the screen.
Daicel's "Determination of magnitude of display sparkle" Established as JIS
Awards
Intellectual Property Achievement Awards
In 2018, Daicel received the Commissioner of the Patent Office Awards at the "Intellectual Property Achievement Awards" organized by the Japan Patent Office of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which recognizes individuals and companies that have contributed to the development of Japan's intellectual property rights system.
The award recognized that [1] business, research & development, and intellectual property divisions are working together, [2] the optical resolution device (chiral separation) for pharmaceutical development, which was commercialized through industry-academia collaboration, enjoys the largest share of the business market thanks to the use of related intellectual properties, and [3] Daicel is helping to improve the productivity of domestic industries and strengthen their international competitiveness by licensing the "Intellectual Integrated Production System" called the "Daicel Way."
Japan Patent Office Website: About 2018 Intellectual Property Achievement Awards (in Japanese)
The Intellectual Property Association of Japan Industrial Achievement Award
In 2018, Daicel received the 15th Industrial Achievement Award from the Intellectual Property Association of Japan, which honors corporations for their outstanding achievements in intellectual property activities.
The award recognizes Daicel's efforts to promote collaboration among business, R&D, and intellectual property divisions, and for proposing this model to industry. Among others, the model was highly evaluated because it can be applied regardless of company size and it also has the potential to be applied in industry-academia collaboration.
Local Commendations for Invention
Daicel has been awarded Local Commendations for Invention by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation for four straight years since 2017.
FY2022
- The Invention Encouragement Prize at the Chugoku Commendations for Invention
Cellulose diacetate for retardation film (JP Patent No. 4774121)
FY2021
- The Invention Encouragement Prize at the Chugoku Commendations for Invention
Improvement of work environment for manufacturing TAC film (JP Patent No. 5517409)
FY2020
- The Japan Patent Attorneys Association Presidential Award and the Achievement Award at the Chugoku Commendations for Invention
Biodegradable Cellulose Acetate Particles and Cosmetic Product (JP Patent No. 6609726)
- The Invention Encouragement Prize at the Kinki Commendations for Invention
Flange Tightening Skill Testing Device (JP Patent No. 6166222)
FY2019
- The Invention Encouragement Prize at the Chugoku Commendations for Invention
Cellulose acetate production by two-stage pulp disintegration (JP Patent No. 5816395)
- The Invention Encouragement Prize at the Kinki Commendations for Invention
Rubber & nylon composite sheet (JP Patent No. 5466928)
FY2018
- The Invention Encouragement Prize at the Chugoku Commendations for Invention
Fiber oil emulsion and its production method (JP Patent No. 4754307)
- The Invention Encouragement Prize at the Kinki Commendations for Invention
Resource-saving and energy-saving acetic acid production method (JP Patent No. 5662269)
FY2017
- The Osaka Institute of Invention and Innovation Chairman's Award at the Kinki Commendations for Invention
Gas generating device for airbags (JP Patent No. 3220443)
- The Invention Encouragement Prize at the Kinki Commendations for Invention
Anti-glare film (JP Patent No. 4377578)
- The Invention Encouragement Prize at the Kanto Commendations for Invention
Polyglycerin, polyglycerol fatty acid ester (JP Patent No. 4540482)
Zero retardation TAC film (JP Patent No. 4108077)
Related News Releases
- Received the Invention Encouragement Prize in 2022 at the Chugoku Local Commendations for Invention for “Cellulose diacetate for retardation film” (November 21, 2022) (in Japanese)
- Engaged in an exchange of views with the Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office (Executive Meeting between the JPO and Daicel; November 15, 2022) (in Japanese)
- Engaged in an exchange of views with the Commissioner of the Japan Patent Office (Executive Meeting between the JPO and Daicel; January 11, 2022) (in Japanese)
- Received the Invention Encouragement Prize in 2021 at the Chugoku Local Commendations for Invention for “Improvement of the TAC Film Manufacturing Work Environment” (October 12, 2021) (in Japanese)
- Notice regarding appeal of final and binding judgement for a Patent Infringement Injunction (Finalization of Winning Case; July 1, 2021) (in Japanese)
- Received the Invention Encouragement Prize at the Kinki Local Commendations for Invention for “Flange Tightening Skill Testing Device” (D-BOLVIS®) (November 5, 2020) (in Japanese)
- "Biodegradable Cellulose Acetate Particles and Cosmetic Product" wins "Presidential Award of the Japan Patent Attorneys Association" (October 12, 2020)
- Daicel Wins Patent Infringement Action for Equol (September 23, 2020)
- Daicel Successfully Defends Itself in Patent Infringement Appeal Case (June 25, 2020)
- Signed the Declaration of Support for Countermeasures against the COVID-19 Pandemic with Respect to Intellectual Property (June 2, 2020) (in Japanese)
Related Links
- *As a domestic company participating in the IP landscape, we cooperated in survey interviews.