The general performance of listed rubber companies has been compiled for fiscal 2019, during which the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic began to become apparent. Among chemical companies, the elastomer business experienced lower revenue and earnings at synthetic rubber manufacturers JSR Corp. (TYO:4185) and Zeon Corp. (TYO:4205). This was attributable to a global slump among buyers in automobile and...
Industry
Bridgestone Recognized for Aiding Toyota’s Efforts Toward “Making Ever-Better Cars”
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) recently announced that it has received two awards from Toyota Motor Corp. (TYO:7203): the Technology & Development Award and the Superior Value Improvement Award. The Technology & Development Award is given out to suppliers who have managed to advance manufacturing by way of innovative technologies. Meanwhile, the Superior Value Improvement Award recognizes supplier attitudes and achievements with...
Bridgestone’s Masahiro Higashi Named as New JATMA Chairman
The Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA) appointed a new chairman and vice chairman at its annual general meeting on May 26, 2020. Masahiro Higashi of Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) has replaced Takashi Shimizu of Toyo Tire Corp. (TYO:5105) as chairman, while Masataka Yamaishi of Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) has taken over from Bridgestone’s Akihiro Eto as vice chairman. This...
JSR Forms Comprehensive Tie-up With Tokyo University’s Department of Physics
JSR Corp. (TYO:4185) recently announced that it has formed a comprehensive collaboration with the Department of Physics at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Science. Joint research here started up on April 1. The first initiative under the tie-up is to establish a collaborative research base for bringing together physics and chemistry. Named the “JSR–UTokyo Collaboration Hub, CURIE,” this...
Mitsui Chemicals, Nagoya University Begin Joint Development of Reusable 3D-Printed Mask
Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) has teamed up with Professor Katsutoshi Hori of the Graduate School of Engineering at Nagoya University and Friend Microbe Inc., a venture stemming from Nagoya University, to start development for a reusable 3D-printed mask. The greatest feature of this new mask promises to be virus-blocking capabilities while also offering reusability. This is achieved with a reusable...
Bridgestone Looks to Expand European Sales Network by Acquiring Germany’s Reiff
Bridgestone Corp. (TYO:5108) subsidiary Bridgestone Europe NV/SA recently announced that it has concluded a final agreement to acquire Reiff Reifen und Autotechnik GmbH, a supplier of automotive services including tire sales in southern Germany. The agreement was concluded on May 1; the amount paid for the acquisition has not yet been revealed. Reiff controls a retail network of 42 tire...
