R&D Policy
Driving innovation across the three business sectors through science and digital technologies
Traditionally, Asahi Kasei has driven growth by leveraging its manufacturing strengths and maximizing the value of its tangible assets. Now we are pursuing the challenge of transforming to better leverage the intangible assets long overshadowed by our tangible assets.
By connecting R&D activities across the three business sectors—Healthcare, Homes, and Material—we leverage science as a common foundation and utilize advanced digital technologies, including AI, to accelerate innovation.
Drawing on our strengths in diverse technologies and talent, we promote the creation of new businesses and the evolution of existing businesses through the integration of different fields of knowledge and technologies, thereby contributing to a better future.
R&D Strategy
Accelerating strengths built over more than a century through AI-driven digital transformation
The basic R&D strategy is to establish R&D structures in each of the three sectors, while corporate shared functions provide a management platform (business, technology, and human resources) that is mutually leveraged to generate synergies and great strides in value that are unique to Asahi Kasei. In the Material sector, projects by Corporate Research & Development that have strong relevance to existing businesses are transferred to the respective business divisions. Organizations primarily responsible for Material sector research are consolidated under Material Business Research & Development, creating a structure more focused on contributing to business. Corporate Research & Development is concentrating on subjects from a group-wide perspective, redefining its role relative to the business divisions and optimizing the R&D project portfolio.
R&D Philosophy at Asahi Kasei Corporation
The Corporate R&D organization and the Material Business Research & Development have established an R&D philosophy that embodies the values they aspire to create through future research and development, as well as the mindset they seek to uphold, inspired by the Asahi Kasei Group slogan, “Creating for Tomorrow.”
SLOGAN
Where transforming tomorrow begins.
Every invention that advances human life, and every technology that leads to solutions for global challenges, begins with a modest discovery or an unexpected idea. From there, persevering through challenge after challenge, enduring countless failures, and expending endless time and effort, we move toward what excites us—all to change the future. Today, we continue to create those small beginnings.
VISION
To create a world where every person is filled with excitement for the life and lifestyle of tomorrow.
MISSION
Grounded in science, driven by courage, we connect today to a better tomorrow for people and our planet.
VALUE
Science as a common language for creating value across disciplines
The Asahi Kasei Group’s management platform lies in the strengths of our diverse businesses cultivated over a long history, together with the technology and human resources that support them. The sharing and interaction of these three strengths are the source of value creation unique to Asahi Kasei. What makes this possible is that, while we operate a wide range of businesses, the entire organization is connected through science as a common language. For example, in the forward osmosis (FO) / membrane distillation (MD) hybrid membrane system currently being developed for pharmaceutical production processes, we are applying membrane separation technologies cultivated over many years through the development of separators and hollow-fiber membranes. Such innovative applications are made possible because the organization is connected through science.
