100 Stories2016 Launch of AKEU to Develop a Market in Europe

Iron is the most common material used in cars. Approaching the second half of the 2010s, Europe was about to change this common practice.

Japan insisted on manufacturing its cars using iron, while Europe was eager to shift to other materials. Leading Japanese chemical companies were creating bases one after another to develop a new market for European cars. A new development took place in the competition of creating lighter materials.

It all started when the European base established the Hamburg office in Germany in November 1964. In addition to five resident employees, including the head of the office, resident employees from Frankfurt were dispatched. Each employee was put in charge of several countries. They carried out promotional activities mainly for textile in 25 countries through teamwork by utilizing the communication network.

After that in April 1981, Asahi Kasei Europe (N. V. Asahi Chemical Industry) was constructively reorganized and expanded as a photosensitive material distributer and re-established in Belgium as the European region headquarters, but it was liquidated in 2009.

In April 2016, Asahi Kasei Europe (AKEU) was finally established in Düsseldorf, Germany. This became the base for offering development proposals for automobile parts to their sales.

They sold environmentally-friendly items that contributed to automobile driving, such as high-performance resin, synthetic rubber for tires, battery separators, and digital devices.

For example, the nylon-type Leona™ resin. They modified their molecular structure to achieve higher durability against high temperature and vibration and offered them as a material for engine periphery. The oil pan where the engine oil is placed is commonly made of metal, such as iron, but using resin can make it six times lighter.

An opening event was held in June 2016 and about 200 guests from leading local automobile and parts companies gathered. Just two months after the start of their operations, they rapidly chose the venue, made arrangements to invite guests from inside and outside the company from Japan and Europe, and prepared the event order. We were also honored to have the consulate-general of Japan in Düsseldorf, Consul-General Mizuuchi, and the deputy mayor of Düsseldorf.

At that time, AKEU consisted of 44 employees. Yuji Kobayashi, Asahi Kasei’s vice-president at the time said, “We greatly value the automobile industry in Europe for its advanced abilities and technology,” looking forward to new businesses in other regions after the use of their parts in Europe.

Two months after the opening event in August 2016, a workshop in the field of materials was held. Many VIPs from Japan, including Kobayashi, and from Asahi Photoproducts and AKSE attending this workshop, creating a valuable opportunity to listen to their opinions.

The establishment of the Europe R&D Center and the appointment of a PR officer were especially carried out immediately.
Less than half a year from the workshop in January 2017, a PR officer was appointed. The next month, the first judo workshop, Asahi Kasei Judo Workshop, was held as a social contribution activity.

In Asahi Kasei’s social contribution activities focus on the development of the next generation and the promotion of culture, art, and sports. Judo originated in Japan and had become popular in Germany as well, making it the perfect activity.

The instructors were of the Asahi Judo Team and Olympic medalists, the top-notch duo Shohei Ono and Takanori Nagase. In addition to the 184 participants, the mayor of Düsseldorf also visited the workshop. This judo workshop was featured in the You Are the Future series.

Moreover, the Europe R&D Center was established in Dormagen to gather and accumulate advanced technical information about automotive applications in Europe and about the environment and energy, and to accelerate the development of new businesses that leverage Asahi Kasei Group’s research development abilities.

The establishment of this center opened a path for cooperation with AKEU, further accelerating and enhancing the efficiency of their services. In 2020, to further enhance their effectiveness, they decided to move to Düsseldorf where AKEU is located. They promoted communication between R&D and sales representatives and customers, resulting in more orders from European automobile manufacturers.

AKEU started with 44 employees and expanded its scale to 100 employees in 2019. Having built a strong foundation and reached the stage where it can shift to a specific business, AKEU will continue striving toward achieving a 150-billion-yen scale by FY2025 as it had planned from the start.