Demand trends for rubber and plastic hoses appear to be showing mixed signs at present, with different prospects lying ahead for each application. In the area of automotive hoses, things have been slowly trending upward, spurred on by an automotive production rebound that started in summer. But at the same time, there appears to be little hope of a quick...
Industry
Sumitomo Riko Backs UNGC Statement for Global Business Cooperation
Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. (TYO:5191) has endorsed and signed on to the Statement from Business Leaders for Renewed Global Cooperation, an initiative under the UN Global Compact (UNGC). Signed by 1,294 major company heads, this statement was presented to the UN Secretary General at this year’s Private Sector Forum, which was held on Sept. 21 during the UN General Assembly...
Sumitomo Rubber Launches Proof-of-Concept Testing for Tire Pressure Monitoring Service
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) recently announced that it has started proof-of-concept testing for a new tire pressure management solutions service that is able to remotely monitor the pressure and temperature of tires. This testing is being carried out in conjunction with a number of external partners – including Shin-Idemitsu Co. Ltd. – as well as in-house sales subsidiary Dunlop...
Natural Disasters Keep Infrastructure-Related Demand Strong Even Amid COVID-19
While economic conditions are taking a hit from COVID-19, Japan’s demand for infrastructure-related products has avoided any major slump, staying comparatively firm. The infrastructure maintenance sector makes use of a wide range of rubber and plastic products for all sorts of applications. This includes conveyor belts and hoses used for moving materials and dirt at building sites, as well as...
Ube Industries Looks to Accelerate Widespread Adoption of Bio-Based Products
Ube Industries Ltd. (TYO:4208) is set to move ahead with a seven-year joint R&D project for a data-driven integrated biomanufacturing management system (iBMS). This is being pursued as a way to facilitate the popularization of biomanufacturing in broader society. Ube Industries recently made a project proposal here to the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), submitting this in...
Dow Chemical Japan Launches Year-Long Program to Support Plastic Recycling
Dow Chemical Japan Ltd. this month has launched a year-long program in which the company will work with areas across Japan to carry out clean-up activities, environmental education and the recycling of collected plastic waste. This will be carried out as a joint project alongside TerraCycle Inc., an environmentally and socially oriented venture with the goal of cutting down on...