The Japanese Rubber Workers Union Confederation (JRC) recently announced the agreements it has reached by June 30 as a result of its annual labor offensive carried out this spring. Out of 56 member unions, 55 submitted demands for a wage increase, of which 52 – or 92.9 percent of the total – reached an agreement to this end. Then for...
Industry
Kato Sansho, Ichinen Chemicals Develop New Additive to Increase Biomass Content of PE, PP
Raw materials trading firm Kato Sansho Co. Ltd. has worked with Ichinen Chemicals Co. Ltd. to develop One Bio, a series of biomass additives derived from plants. One Bio B-001 is an 80 percent plant-derived additive that can be simply mixed with polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) – materials that make up around half of Japan’s plastics market – to...
Bridgestone Invests in Self-Driving Truck Operator Kodiak
Bridgestone Americas Inc. announced on June 16 that it has made a minority investment in Kodiak Robotics Inc., a U.S. company engaged in developing self-driving technology for long-haul trucks. Kodiak currently provides customers in Texas with long-haul truck services based on Level 4 self-driving technology, which allows for an advanced level of automation while retaining a safety driver on board....
New SRIJ President Hiromu Saito Looks to Make Organization More Active and Approachable
Hiromu Saito, a professor from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), was recently inaugurated as the new president of the Society of Rubber Science and Technology, Japan (SRIJ). Commenting on his thoughts here, Saito said that it will be necessary to watch out for and prepare for risks created by factors such as changing international standards. So for...
Continental Set to Expand Partnership With Chinese Hydrogen Specialist Censtar
Continental AG and Chinese hydrogen specialist Censtar H2-Electricity Science & Technology are set to deepen their strategic partnership in the Chinese market. Both companies have now formally agreed to work together on developing dispensing hose solutions for hydrogen refueling stations, with the aim going forward of advancing mobility to help get society closer to carbon neutrality. Safe and efficient hydrogen...
Rubber Sheet Manufacturers Eye Price Hikes to Ensure Supply, Business Continuity
A growing number of rubber sheet manufacturers are looking to increase prices on their products. Most companies here are considering a 10–20 percent price hike on rubber sheets and an 8–20 percent price hike on other general-purpose products, including plastic ones. And beyond these general-purpose products, a number of companies are in talks with customers to negotiate price hikes for...