The Teijin Group believes that ceaseless technological innovations create new values that enrich people’s lives, and that creating new markets enables sustainable growth for our society. In the newly-devised medium-term management vision, therefore, we will continue to create value through development of technology and manufacture of products.

Based on the Teijin Group’s brand statement “Human Chemistry, Human Solutions,” and aiming to achieve the corporate philosophy of “Quality of Life,” our newly-devised medium- to long-term management policy established the following four sectors as the key business domains: Automobiles and Aircraft, Information and Electronics, Environment and Energy, and Healthcare. We created product roadmaps, and, to carry out relevant R&D, we specified advanced and composite materials, green energy, and life sciences as the three key technological areas. By enhancing the R&D pipelines and by capitalizing on our high technological power and cutting-edge technologies, we will reinforce our base technologies for developing unique and original products.

To promote R&D based on global and long-term perspectives, the Teijin Group has been further escalating the development of new businesses as well as collaborations and integrations among existing business groups, so as to combine the Teijin Group’s diverse innovative technologies with solutions. At the same time, we have been conducting a wide range of partnerships with universities and public research institutes both in Japan and overseas. These research activities are being supported by more than 1,600 researchers who work as part of our global R&D network, comprising nine research facilities in Japan and seven in other countries.

At the Teijin Group, we will concentrate our R&D resources and implement that is both open and customer-oriented. To do this, we will classify the Teijin Group’s research functions into the following categories according to their purpose and role; (1) basic and objective research, (2) commercialization research, and (3) a Customer Laboratory that provides solutions to customers. We will move our research activities forward in partnership among business groups and the Mirai (future) Studio. Our corporate R&D will aim to create new businesses, while the business groups will engage in R&D to strengthen our competitive edge and promote growth in each business sectors.

In terms of corporate research, we will continue to promote research reforms that focus on open research, research that emphasizes creation and creativity, market-focused development activities, and diversification and fostering of human resources. To promote R&D for creating new businesses, moreover, we are utilizing the Open Innovation Strategy to strengthen alliances both inside and outside the company. We will develop research themes and search the seeds of new technologies by holding Teijin Technology Advisory Meetings comprising university professors and other experts, as well as the Teijin 21st Century Forum composed of scientists and researchers who are at the forefront of the world’s science and technology research.

To further promote open innovation, the Teijin Group established the Teijin Technology Innovation Center and Teijin Composites Innovation Center in FY2008. The Teijin Technology Innovation Center is positioned as an incubation center for developing new businesses, and carries out everything from R&D to commercialization research. The aim is to put research projects into operation as quickly as possible. The Teijin Composites Innovation Center, meanwhile, integrates composite materials’ R&D functions with marketing functions. It is positioned as a customer laboratory where new products are developed, in partnership with our customers. The center collaborates with corporations inside and outside Japan and carries out proposal-style businesses that focus on composite materials.