[Special Topic] Initiatives in the Aspect of “Societal Needs”

Fostering R&D on the Three Themes of Improvement of Productivity, Reduction of Environmental Impact, and Creation of New Energy

In the aspect of “societal needs,” we are creating new products and services that fundamentally help solve social environmental problems based on the Action Guidelines.
In our new medium-term plan for environmental improvement activities, we conduct R&D focusing on the following three themes: (1) improving productivity by developing leading-edge technologies for the improvement of water quality and optimal technologies for water treatment processes; (2) reducing environmental impact by strengthening wastewater treatment and soil remediation technologies and by developing technologies to recover and reuse wastewater and valuable resources and to reduce waste generation; and (3) creating new energy by further advancing energy conservation technologies and using water for the creation of hydrogen and solar energy.

Identifying the Results from the Aspect of “Societal Needs”

As for the results achieved in the aspect of “societal needs,” we identify them in terms of the “number of developed technologies and products” and “environmental benefits to customers.” The number of developed technologies and products was calculated based on the number of themes for which R&D were completed. The number was 12 in fiscal 2009.
The environmental benefits to customers were calculated based on the reduction of environmental impact that was achieved at customers’ factories and other business sites through the application of our “products with identified environmental contribution effects” selected from among the technologies and products for which R&D were completed. We set the method to calculate the reduction of environmental impact for each of these products, and identify the environmental benefits to customers in the aspect of “societal needs” according to the number of orders received from each customer. From among the themes for which R&D were completed in fiscal 2009, we have selected seven products and 11 products for water treatment chemicals and water treatment facilities, respectively, as special “products with identified environmental contribution effects.”

We are developing new products and technologies to help reduce environmental impact within society.

Regarding the initiatives taken in the aspect of “societal needs,” we interviewed an employee in charge of development at Kurita.

What role do you think the departments in charge of development should play in the Kurita Group’s environmental improvement activities?

Mashiko: I think the development departments, including our department, should create new technologies that help improve the environment in the water and environmental fields by identifying the social and market needs and bringing these technologies to a commercial level as soon as possible.

What measures are you implementing to identify the social and market needs?

Mashiko: At present, I am mainly engaged in the development of chemicals for incineration facilities.In my job, I visit the actual facilities together with employees in charge of sales to directly ask customers about the problems they presently face, to check the use of water and heat at their facilities, and to investigate how waste is generated and disposed of there, and to see if more waste can be eliminated or if there is any room for improvement.I am thus daily committed to identifying market needs.
Also, I believe it’s important to prepare for possible problems in the future, in addition to providing solutions to existing problems.To this end, we make exchanges with engineers of other companies, obtain relevant information through a variety of media, and search for tips for development by examining social trends.

Please give an example of a product that you have developed to contribute to environmental improvement.

Mashiko: At incineration facilities, acid gas is safely treated by the use of chemicals, but the chemicals themselves eventually become waste.To solve this problem, I developed a chemical which can efficiently neutralize acid gas with a small amount of addition, and this has resulted in about a 20% reduction in the amount of waste.

What would you like to do in the future?

Mashiko: I will continue to develop new products and technologies that help reduce waste generation and also conserve energy, in order to contribute to reducing environmental impact.