Examples of Co-Creation

In order to contribute to building a circular society as set forth in our Long-Term Vision, we will provide new products and services, transcending the boundaries of departments, companies, industries, academia and government, while sharing common aspirations. We are pleased to have signed comprehensive collaboration agreements on joint research with Kanazawa University, Kyoto University, Kobe University, Kumamoto University, and the University of Hyogo. Moreover, as part of our commitment to forming collaborative ties between industry and academia encompassing universities and public research institutes, we are establishing collaboration centers at universities located both inside Japan and abroad. At the same time, we are moving forward with the development of innovative products that contribute to the emergence of a recycling-oriented society as well as the resolution of societal issues. In this effort, we remain committed to societal development together with partners capable of creating value, starting with our collaborations between industry and academia.

Under the Long-Term Vision “DAICEL VISION 4.0” and the Sustainable Management Policy, we are developing and expanding our technology to produce valuable products that increase human happiness in a manner friendly to both people and the planet. We aim to contribute to the emergence of a society that cycles materials. As part of this initiative, we have been pursuing the effective use of natural resources — including cellulose, a product we have been developing for many years — to accelerate the transition away from a reliance on petroleum products through the Biomass Product Trees Concept. In addition, we have been implementing the Biomass Value Chain Concept, a framework designed to generate new social value through collaborations with a wide range of industrial sectors.

On June 23, 2022, we concluded an agreement with Kobe University to promote comprehensive collaboration between industry and academia with the aim of pursuing research, developing technologies, and contributing to society. We are conducting joint research in the areas of medical and healthcare; chemistry and bioprocesses; and green chemistry. More recently, we have been strengthening our collaboration by expanding the scope of our joint research to include the humanities and social sciences. In addition, under the terms of a project by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry incorporated in the “Fiscal 2022 Supplementary Budget: Development of Incubation and Industry-Academia Fusion Bases at Regional Core Universities” as adopted by Kobe University, we have established incubation facilities for training and exchanging researchers, students, and personnel to support entrepreneurship. This is intended to support the formation of startups along with facilities and equipment for use in joint research with companies related to biomedical membranes. We also supported the establishment of the Biomedical Membrane Research and Open Innovation Center (commonly known as the J-Innovation HUB Building), a core center for fusion between industry and academia that includes comprehensive facilities to promote open innovation. As we utilize these facilities to strengthen collaboration among industry, academia, and government, we will continue to expand our joint research and technology exchanges with Kobe University and contribute to the emergence of a sustainable society committed to recycling by implementing our innovations within society.

In October 2022, we established the One Time Energy Joint Research Program to focus on the co-creation of original value through collaboration between industry and academia. In this program, we are addressing themes for joint research that integrate the results of impact energy research undertaken by Kumamoto University with Daicel’s ONE TIME ENERGY® technology. In May 2023, we signed an agreement on comprehensive collaboration to further strengthen our partnership with the goal of enhancing our collaboration in areas such as healthcare, safety and security, convenience and comfort, and the environment. This initiative contributes to joint research leading to societal implementation, personnel development, and regional cooperation in a manner that benefits both parties as well as the local community.

In August 2017, we entered into a comprehensive partnership agreement intended to promote collaboration between industry and academia across many fields of endeavor. In 2020, we established the Joint Research Program on Friction Interface Phenomena to study these complex friction interface phenomena from both a micro (atomic and molecular scale) and macro (practical material scale) perspective. Additionally, we aim to construct theories related to the essence of these materials in order to obtain the desired characteristics required when using resins as friction components. We aim to embody the theories and elemental technologies obtained from this joint research program in order to provide lightweight, high-performance, and innovative materials that meet societal needs.