Research & Development

Innovations Strategy

Basic Concept

Putting people at our focus in its thinking and based on its corporate philosophy, "Enhancing the Quality of Life," the Teijin Group is continuing to undertake reforms and embracing challenges to create new value and provide solutions toward the realization of a sustainable society. Teijin is thereby aiming to become "a company that supports the society of the future". We regard "Climate change mitigation and adaptation," "Achievement of a circular economy," "Safety and security of people and local communities" and "Realization of healthy and comfortable living for people" as key societal challenges for us. We will provide solutions for "sustainable automobiles, aircraft and energies" to become "a company that protects the global environment". Also, we will offer solutions to meet the unmet needs of patients, including those suffering from rare and intractable diseases, to become "a company that addresses issues of patients, families and local communities in need of more support".

The Teijin Group views innovation as a series of activities involved in building a business, ranging from product and service creation to profit making. In order to address social needs and issues from a global perspective, we aim to leverage the unique comprehensive strengths and agility of the Teijin Group.

In the Teijin Group's R&D system, drawing on our research and development network, which comprises 13 R&D laboratories overseas and 12 facilities in Japan, we are invigorating our organization by strengthening collaboration among Group companies. Moreover, in April 2023, we integrated the New Business Divisions-which were under the direct control of the President of Materials Business and the President of Healthcare Business-and the Corporate Business Incubation Division into the New Business Development Unit, which will help diverse personnel demonstrate their abilities and thereby speed up the creation of innovation. Through this initiative, we aim to encourage innovation across the board through the co-creation of new businesses and new investment areas by our business units beyond the business boundaries.

Furthermore, the Teijin Group regards intellectual property as an important managerial asset that provides the Group with a source of competitive advantages. Based on this recognition, we are promoting intellectual property-related activities for the successful implementation of our management strategies. We are working to optimize our intellectual property portfolio toward the achievement of the Teijin Group's long-term vision and will conduct specific intellectual property investment activities to gain competitive advantages regarding "sustainable automobiles, aircraft and energies" as well as "diseases including rare and intractable diseases". In addition, for the strategic use of intellectual property information, we are promoting initiatives to make use IP Landscape for our management and business decision-making process.

Developing technologies and markets to support the society of the future

Climate change mitigation and adaptation

We are striving to reduce the weight of our products and extend their durability by promoting the combined use of multi-materials in products. We are also developing technologies and conducting research to create a carbon-neutral society and conducting examinations to make practical social use of the developed technologies.For example, we are working to provide high-strength, lightweight fiber-reinforced plastic materials, high strength and high rigidity tire cords, and high-performance fibers to be used in friction materials for automotive brakes.Also, to reduce the impact of our business activities on the global environment, we are promoting energy saving and the use of renewable energy as well as process innovation and other technological innovations.

Achievement of a circular economy

While extending the life of our products, we are addressing technical issues related to chemical and material recycling. At the European Sustainable Technology Innovation Center (ESTIC), which is our development base that focuses on the environment, we are developing biomaterials and conducting research into hydrogen fuel cells as well as a circular economy on a global scale.

Safety and security of people and local communities

In terms of technology related to earthquake countermeasures, we are promoting the development of high-tenacity, highly flexible aramid fibers and carbon fibers for use as reinforcements to enhance the earthquake resistance of concrete structures. In addition, we engage in the manufacture and sale of aramid fibers with outstanding flame and heat resistance, which are used in fireproof clothing to protect firefighters. At the same time, we leverage IT technologies and sensing technologies to develop firefighting uniforms that help avoid the risk of heatstroke. Through such efforts, we are further pursing the shift toward high-performance materials.

Realization of healthy and comfortable living for people

We seek to help patients improve their quality of life, to create pharmaceuticals and medical equipment that will help expand medical treatment options, and to deliver value-added services. To that end, we are proactively conducting R&D while making use of the synergies generated through between pharmaceuticals and home healthcare businesses. We are also promoting R&D in fields such as bones and regenerative medicines, as they have great affinity with our healthcare business. In the fields of digital healthcare and functional food ingredients, we are focusing on establishing a foundation for healthcare business that encompasses the prevention and treatment of diseases and long-term nursing care as well as on creating new businesses based on the effective use of our information platform.

      

Generating innovation

In our R&D activities, we use the Teijin Group's unique strength of conducting multiple businesses--specifically, the Materials, Healthcare, Fibers and Products Converting, and IT businesses. We are promoting the collaboration, effective use and fusion of our technologies in these businesses to demonstrate the Group's comprehensive abilities and agility. In digital transformation (DX), we are enhancing our R&D ability by using IoT monitoring technology, machine learning, AI technology and materials informatics (MI), while also working to transform our manufacturing facilities into smart plants to increase onsite productivity. Further, while promoting joint research with academic circles and collaborations with other companies to effectively use big data and digital technologies in our fields of specialization, we established the DX Promotion Department for the creation of new services and businesses in the materials, healthcare and IT fields based on the achievement of the joint research and collaboration. We promote the acquisition and use of AI, IT and various other advanced technologies through the department.

Enhancing unique, innovative products and services through collaboration within and outside the Teijin Group

  • Materials x IT

    Polymer technologies x Materials informatics (MI)


    Amid changes within the social environment, such as the evolution of mobility and the advancement of next-generation telecommunications, we are promoting a digital transformation even in our R&D activities so that we can accurately grasp the need for new materials and components that respond to these social changes and provide them accordingly. For example, we are promoting the development of materials and components that incorporate MI and other forms of information science. Also, to address the issues pertaining to the shift to lightweight and high-performance materials, we are leveraging not only the data we have accumulated in-house but also an abundance of external data as we strive to create new value while collaborating with external organizations.

  • Healthcare x IT

    Medical devices x IT


    In the field of comprehensive community-based healthcare, we are integrating IT technologies within our home healthcare platforms* to reinforce community-based healthcare platforms that support healthy and comfortable lifestyles by forming connections between people and products and people themselves. Also, in addition to connections between people and products, we are aiming for IoC (Internet of Customers), which forms connections with customers. With this goal, we are leveraging data pertaining to health and illnesses to promote the development of products and services that predict the onset of an illness and help prevent that illness from becoming severe.

    • *Nationwide sales and service network comprising 2,000 personnel, a 24-hour call center, in-house nursing care stations, and VitalLink (an information sharing system for team-based healthcare), etc.
  • Healthcare x Materials

    Cardiovascular surgical patch


    We are working to develop a cardiovascular surgical patch SYNFOLIUM® in collaboration with Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University and Fukui Tateami Co., Ltd. This patch represents an innovative medical device that integrates our long-cultivated orthopedic implantable device technologies with advanced fiber technologies and biocompatible polymer technologies. Through implantation of the Cardiovascular and Vascular Repair Patch into the affected area of a patient's heart or vascular wall, the absorbable portion is replaced with the patient's own tissue. Furthermore, as the patch has a structure that is able to grow naturally, it is expected to help reduce the risk of reoperation. After it was confirmed that we had met the criteria for the major evaluation items in the clinical test, we obtained approval for the manufacture and sale of the product from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in July 2023. We will work to release the product into the market within fiscal 2023, while striving to conduct business for it outside Japan as well, and further expand the lineup of products to which this product's element technology is applied.

  • Healthcare x IT x Materials

    Biological information x IT x Sensing materials


    We are rolling out the MATOUS brand as a comprehensive wearable solution that enables the highly accurate sensing of the heart's electrical signals, heartbeat, and amount of physical movement on a continuous basis through the integration of high-performance fibers and sensing technologies. We are utilizing this effort to promote rehabilitation in medical and health fields, improve health through exercise, and implement sports training. Also, in labor-related fields, we are working to make use of this effort in the reduction of labor burden and the acquisition of technical skills.