① Promoting Open Innovation

Since the Denka Innovation Center opened in 2014, we have used the center as the core base of open innovation having 1,052 visitors from 254 organizations in fiscal 2018 and approximately 6,300 visitors from 1,140 organizations in cumulative total. Using various approaches including those through top management, we are promoting open innovation to create next-generation new businesses and products centering potential customers.
In order to strengthen synergies in the Denka Group, we are actively working on collaboration between internal research sections. We are regularly exchanging information at the across-the-board meeting on polymer processing that aims to establish a company-wide system for collaboration between polymer and processing. We also aim to expand collaboration and generation of outcomes such as development of electrical materials under a collaboration between Omuta Plant, Shibukawa Plant and the Advanced Technologies Research Institute.

② Stepping Up Life Innovation Research

We are working on research and development prioritizing on needs with a four research-base system that consists of the Life Innovation Research Institute, Denka Seiken, Denka Life Innovation Research in Singapore, and Icon Genetics in Germany. In order to accelerate the growth of specialty businesses while actively introducing cutting-edge technologies from a global perspective, we promote research and development for developing new businesses with keywords of oncology and gene, in addition to efforts made for preventive and early diagnosis initiatives.
As for the oncogene mutation testing technology that we introduced from US-based KEW, Inc. in February 2017, Denka has been working to apply for its pharmaceutical approval in cooperation with KEW and Denka-KEW Genomics, which is a joint venture of Denka and KEW, while promoting collaboration with research institutions such as universities in Japan. We are also working on the development of sepsis test kit aiming to launch it in fiscal 2022 by making use of the measurement technology called IntelliPlexTM system that enables simultaneous and multi-item bacterial identifications in a quick and simply way based on the genetic method owned by Taiwan-based PlexBio company limited, which is our strategic partner and we are working in collaboration with.

③ Strengthening Our R&D Capabilities

1. 1. Engaging young researchers in collaboration with potential customers / strategic partners: In addition to maintaining technological interaction between young researchers and their external peers, Denka encourages these researchers to be flexible in their pursuit of collaborative research to identify new themes that, in turn, may lead to the creation of new businesses. This approach is expected to yield the added benefit of helping researchers embrace independent-mindedness and achieve personal growth. In fiscal 2018, three external partners were involved in this kind of collaboration and we will continue such activities.
2. 2. Promoting studying abroad and acquiring degrees: With a view to globalization in research and development, we are actively promoting studying abroad and acquiring degrees (employees with a doctor’s degree), including those overseas (currently five employees are taking a doctor’s course for working people at domestic graduate schools).