Organization

The most important objective of the INC is to generate innovation by integrating internal and external resources.
To empower individual divisions and customers to take the initiative in generating ongoing innovation, the Center plays the role of accelerator in the Kuraray Group’s innovation efforts, promoting activities involving the participation of all corporate divisions and employees. We have adopted an ambassador system for the Center, whereby around two dozen core members from diverse backgrounds are collaborating globally in digital venues with over 50 ambassadors representing various Group organizations.
By leveraging the Kuraray Group’s resources on a global scale, from its diverse human resources in Japan and overseas and its unique technical capabilities to the customer relationships and market approaches it has cultivated over the years, we will continue to create new business opportunities over the longer term.

Central to realizing the Kuraray Group’s vision as a Specialty Chemical Company achieving sustained growth is the Research and Development Division, the main thrust of our corporate R&D and new business development activities. The Research and Development Division manages the Kurashiki Research Center, Tsukuba Research Center, Intellectual Property Department, and Planning and Administration Department.

With a foundation in organic synthesis and synthetic polymer technologies, catalytic chemistry, Polymer Research Laboratory and environment and energy technology, the Kurashiki Research Center focuses on R&D of new businesses, products and technologies. As the analysis hub of the Kuraray Group, it also conducts global efforts to solve technical issues using analytical and safety evaluation technologies.

The Tsukuba Research Center applies its core technical strengths in precision polymerization and denaturation, molding, polymer processing and computational chemistry to develop new businesses, products and technologies.

Kuraray has made respect for intellectual property1 a fundamental principle. Since fiscal 2003, Kuraray’s Intellectual Property Department has been engaged in the creation, protection, and use of intellectual property based on a three-in-one strategy encompassing business, R&D and intellectual property. Its objective is to strengthen and accelerate business and R&D in line with the Kuraray Group’s management strategy.

Specifically, the department proposes business and R&D strategies while seeking to minimize business risk, and monitors the patent portfolio2 (PPF) and patent clearance3 (PC) for the entire company.

As one measure to strengthen its infrastructure for invention, Kuraray has established and is expanding a patent indemnity and incentive award system to increase incentives for researchers to make new discoveries.

• Intangible inventions, ideas, concepts, and goodwill protected under patent laws, the Utility Model Law, the Trademark Law, the Design Law, or copyright laws
• Compares and analyzes the patent portfolios of Kuraray and other companies with regard to specified fields and products, for the purposes of:
  • Evaluating the technological characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of intellectual property
  • Proposing various strategies (establishing R&D themes, evaluating commercialization potential, developing business, planning for patent applications)
• • Clarifying matters pertaining to patent rights for technologies that Kuraray plans to use and the patent portfolios of other companies, as well as evaluating business and R&D methodology.
  • Reducing commercialization risks by proposing and implementing measures to eliminate or avoid problems in obtaining patent license agreements.

As the strategic department of the Research and Development Division, this department conducts comprehensive planning, promotion, adjustment and administration for the division overall, and helps to ensure that R&D matches business strategy and leads to success. Its work encompasses creation of new businesses and strengthening and expansion of existing businesses; planning and coordination of collaboration with outside partners; optimal resource allocation and human resource development for corporate research; division management; management of R&D themes under the control of the division; and ensuring safety.

KAI Corporate R&D assigns employees to the Kuraray Research and Technical Center (KRTC), our U.S. development base located in Houston, Texas. It provides support for businesses and production and development bases in the United States, cooperates with research centers in Japan, and promotes collaboration with local universities for new business development.

Employees are also assigned to Silicon Valley in California to scout startups that are using local venture capital.

The IP Management Center established in January 2022 will work not only to support the IP strategies of each business division, but will also formulate and implement a globally integrated IP strategy. In this way, we will implement IP activities that go beyond the former strategy, focused on securing rights, to include business development activities.