Organic Chemicals
The Specialty Group seeks to stabilize the profits of its organic chemicals businesses. At the same time, it will promote the sale of new products and rapidly commercialize next-generation products in the interest of achieving an ordinary income sales ratio of 20%. In addition, the group will formulate expansion strategies as business opportunities present themselves.
Products that the Specialty Group seeks to strengthen include ethyleneamines, such as TEDA and TOYOCAT®; bromine;and heavy metal treatment agents. Firmer foundations in these products will grant a solid footing and help mitigate the effects of fluctuations in business conditions.
The adoption of increasingly stringent environmental regulations in China has decreased that nation’s production of bromine. That pushed up the market price and led to increased bromine sales to China. The Specialty Group will focus on the use of such resources as warm water, waste acid, and chlorine at its Nanyo Complex bromine production facility. It will also fortify its bromine production operations by using environmentally friendly seawater with the goal of establishing Tosoh as the top bromine manufacturer in Asia.
Advanced Materials
Zeolites
The construction of facilities to supplement HSZ production at the Nanyo Complex is under way at a cost of about ¥10 billion. These facilities are slated to begin commercial operation in August 2019 and will boost the Specialty Group’s HSZ production capacity 30% over present levels. The group also manufactures HSZ at Tosoh’s Yokkaichi Complex. And, in mid-2017, Tosoh launched HSZ production at a new facility in Malaysia.
Ceramics
The Specialty Group’s zirconia powder has gained popularity for dental and decorative applications. With the aim of further expanding business to meet customer demand, it plans to augment its zirconia production capacity 30% at the Nanyo Complex. Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2018, and the expanded zirconia facility is expected to begin operation in October 2019.
Battery Materials
Electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) is important in the production of conventional batteries. And the Specialty Group is resolved to develop high-performance battery materials to differentiate its products and raise profitability. The group produces EMD at facilities in Japan and Greece and boasts the world’s largest production capacity for EMD.
Electronic Materials
Market demand for semiconductors is rising from the highly diversified semiconductor industry, driven largely by data center, Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The global flat-panel display market is also expected to grow, due mainly to increasing demand for high-definition and large televisions and for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays for mobile applications.
The Specialty Group’s quartz products are used in manufacturing equipment parts for the semiconductor industry, and its sputtering targets are used for thin-film deposition. The group will continue to develop differentiated products and to execute timely investments in Japan and overseas in line with growing demand in the semiconductor and flat-panel display markets.
Bioscience
Separation and Purification
The Specialty Group recognizes the massive potential for growth in the global bioscience market and is adopting aggressive strategies for developing business in this and other high-growth fields. It will focus on the development and sales of bioscience-related separation media and columns, expanding in particular its sales of separation media for the manufacture of antibody and nucleic acid drugs. It will also strengthen its operational foundation through R&D on original materials such as silica-based gel and ligands for Toyopearl.
Clinical Diagnostics
In May 2017, the Specialty Group received approval for the manufacture and sale of an in vitro diagnostic agent for a new reagent that targets autotaxin, a protein whose concentration increases in the blood of patients with liver damage. That protein is recognized as an effective marker in the early diagnosis of liver fibrosis. And the group’s new reagent measures its concentration using Tosoh’s AIA-series Automated Enzyme Immunoassay Analyzer. It is therefore expected to contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic liver disease.
The Specialty Group plans to develop further diagnostic products for the immunodiagnostic field and will lessen their time to market by collaborating with entities external to Tosoh. It will also work to strengthen Tosoh’s presence in diabetes diagnosis by developing the next-generation HbA1c glycohemoglobin analyzer. The Specialty Group’s work in genetic testing sees it developing a line of reagents for its TRCReady®-80 molecular testing system, formulating a plan for the expansion of sales, and considering products such as an influenza test to introduce to new markets.