Articles from Asahi Kasei Corp.

Diversified global manufacturer Asahi Kasei will increase PIMEL™ photosensitive polyimide (PSPI) production capacity at its Fuji City facility in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. PSPI is a key material for the global electronics industry, mainly used for buffer coatings and passivation layers in semiconductor applications. By doubling its capacity by 2030, Asahi Kasei underlines its commitment to growing its Electronics business and reinforcing its position as a key supplier for the global semiconductor industry.

Asahi Kasei has appointed Ken Shinomiya, President of Asahi Kasei Life Science, as the Leader of its Healthcare Sector succeeding Richard Packer. Under Shinomiya, Asahi Kasei’s Healthcare Sector will further advance its portfolio and global presence of pharmaceuticals, life science, and critical care products and services.

To meet growing demand from the pharmaceutical industry, Asahi Kasei has established Asahi Kasei Life Science to operate its bioprocess businesses under a new organizational structure. Through this change, the company can offer the industry more agile and focused services, deeper innovation in bioprocess solutions, and stronger support in emerging modalities.

Robotics manufacturers developing the next generation of devices need precise torque control, compact system design, and parts that generate low heat. To meet these needs, Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) has launched a new line of integrated circuits (ICs) offering advanced capabilities in a more compact package than previous solutions.

Asahi Kasei Corp. (TOKYO:3407) today announces that it will offer the shareholders of Calliditas Therapeutics AB to acquire the shares of the pharmaceutical company Calliditas for the purpose of making Calliditas a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asahi Kasei (“the Acquisition”) through a voluntary tender offer for Calliditas (“the Tender Offer”). The Tender Offer will also include a concurrent offer by Asahi Kasei to acquire all American Depositary Shares (“ADS”), each representing two shares in Calliditas, which will be conducted pursuant to the securities rules of the United States.

Asahi Kasei (TOKYO:3407) announces that it has joined the Japan Hydrogen Forum (JH2F), which was established to support the decarbonization goals of U.S. federal, state, and local governments. The company will advance activities as a member of the Hydrogen Production Committee, one of the five subcommittees of JH2F.

Asahi Kasei (TOKYO:3407) announced that it is moving the global headquarters for its Healthcare Business to the United States. The Primary Executive Officer for Healthcare and staff will be located in existing Asahi Kasei offices in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston.

Asahi Kasei Corp. (Asahi Kasei) and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui) will establish a supply and procurement system for bio-methanol produced in the United States. Through this system, Asahi Kasei plans to use the bio-methanol procured from Mitsui to produce engineering plastics in Japan with a lower carbon footprint than the current product lineup.

Asahi Kasei (TOKYO:3407) has decided to invest in Castor Technologies Ltd. (CASTOR), an Israeli startup specialized in the development of 3D printing software. In addition to utilizing CASTOR’s software and services, the investment will allow Asahi Kasei to pursue synergies between its CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) technical service for plastic products and CASTOR’s software.

Asahi Kasei and Microwave Chemical launched a joint demonstration project in April 2023 with the objective of commercializing a chemical recycling process for polyamide 661 (PA66, also called nylon 66) using microwave technology. The process utilizes microwaves to depolymerize2 PA66 and directly obtain the monomers hexamethylenediamine (HMD) and adipic acid (ADA), which is expected to be accomplished at high yield with low energy consumption. The monomers obtained can then be used to manufacture new PA66. In the demonstration, scraps from manufacturing and post-use waste material of PA66 for airbags and automobile parts are depolymerized.

Asahi Kasei Medical concluded an agreement on April 14, 2022 (JST) through a U.S. subsidiary to wholly acquire Bionova Scientific, LLC, a provider of contract process development services and GMP-compliant contract manufacturing services to biopharmaceutical companies, especially those developing next-generation antibody based drugs*.

Asahi Kasei Medical has decided to expand the production capacity of Planova™ filters by constructing a new assembly plant in Nobeoka, Miyazaki, Japan. The new plant will be designed to realize a smart factory by accelerating manufacturing automation and digital transformation in order to enhance quality and production efficiency. The construction is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of the calendar year 2022, with expected completion in early 2024.

Asahi Kasei Medical has decided to expand production capacity of hydrophilic PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) hollow-fiber membranes for Planova™ BioEX filters at its spinning plant in Oita, Japan. The global COVID-19 pandemic has increased the urgent demand for Planova™ filters, which are indispensable to develop and mass-produce anti-coronavirus agents. Asahi Kasei Medical will double spinning production capacity at this site by utilizing its state-of-the-art technology. The capacity increase is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2022.