FY2015 CSR Website CSR > Site Reports > Worksites > R&D Center

The R&D Center is our largest operating division requiring over 400 researchers, and isresponsible for Zeon Corporation’s research and development. In addition to having our R&D
Center located alongside our Kawasaki Plant, which has 10 research laboratories (comprised
into 10 buildings numbering 1 to 10), we are developing at our Takaoka Plant (Precision
Optics and Medical Laboratories), Tokuyama Plant (Toner Laboratory), Mizushima Plant(Chemical Products Laboratory), and in also proximity to our production plants. Under thecooperation of our operating divisions, besides developing new products and carrying out

Aerial view of the R&D Center

improvements to existing products in response to customer demand, we are also pushingahead with our search for new materials (new materials R&D), developing and utilizing new analyses and simulation techniques(Foundation Technology Laboratory), and improving our production processes and new facilities development (ProductionTechnology Laboratory). In April 2015, in gearing up towards starting standard production of single wall carbon nanotubes(SWCNTs) in fiscal 2015, we inaugurated our CNT Laboratory for the purpose of developing low-cost production of SWCNTs andapplication technologies. The center carries out development of materials that support Zeon Group business, primarily synthetic
rubber, through to development of processing technologies. R&D activities are pursued in line with a basic philosophy ofcontributing to society through the ongoing creation of world-leading products that "do not imitate and cannot be imitated" using
unique, innovative, and environmentally friendly technologies.
Through the development of such diverse materials and parts that make life more convenient, as well as the creation and deliveryto a wide range of customers of new products that contribute to conservation of energy and the natural environment, the R&D
Center wants to ensure that Zeon Corporation remains a company that is “friendly to the environment and needed by society.”
The center also engages in activities as a member of the local community. This involves the continuation of zero emissions efforts
through thorough sorting of waste generated by R&D activities, Ecocap (plastic bottle cap collection) activities, street-cleaning
activities conducted together with neighboring corporations, and ongoing internships.
In addition to efforts in Japan, the center plans to aggressively advance R&D activities conducted together with researchlaboratories and technological support service locations in North America, China and Europe, as well as joint research withoverseas universities and corporations. We will continue R&D activity to deliver to customers around the world new products that
benefit the global environment and human prosperity.

In accordance with the Zeon CSR Policy, all researchers have CSR awareness as they carry out research. In terms ofcompliance, related laws are strictly observed in all research activities, and the company aims for a highly stimulated and safe
research environment that is free from accidents. Before the R&D Center embarks on a new research project, research andadministrative departments come together to conduct new experiment safety examinations in which they discuss the research
unit's proposal and confirm legal compliance matters and safety considerations, such as chemical substance safety andexposure protection for researchers, as well as ensure proper allocation of resources. Zeon Corporation will proceed with R&D
activities under a system that ensures ongoing provision of quality products offering a high degree of safety and that customers
can trust.

-1-FY2015 CSR Website CSR > Site Reports > Worksites > R&D CenterIn fiscal 2014, in the same way as last year, we returned to the basics of our safety activities by emphasizing that all staff should
greet each other. The safety policy from the beginning was “Greetings and the 3S as routine and practice that of "atarimae".
Greetings create communication and put safety first!” Without communication, a risk that has been noticed may be neglected
and go unaddressed. In terms of safety exercises, plant managers began each week of the year with a “greetings exercise”,
which showed employees the importance of greetings. We also implemented risk prediction activities that emphasized noticing
dangers, and greetings exercises, which are the starting point for dealing with and communicating those dangers. These
activities were successful, and we were able to achieve 10 million hours without accident or incident (zero lost-time accidents),
and an accident-free year (zero lost-time accidents, zero non-lost-time accidents, and zero A or B rank safety incidents orenvironment incidents). The center also continued to keep landfill disposal at zero throughout the year by thoroughly sorting andrecycling waste generated by research activities.
In fiscal 2015, we will strive to attain accident- and incident-free operations based on the teaching that "Safety does not exist.
Danger is a constant presence." In addition, waste recycling will continue in order to keep landfill disposal at zero.

The R&D Center aims to create products based on unique, innovative technologies that “do not imitate and cannot be imitated” inconformance with the Zeon R&D Policy. We intend to realize this aim by raising our manufacturing capabilities while monitoring avariety of aspects including intellectual property, safety, product quality, costs, and productivity in all development stages.
VOICE

Zeon Creates the Future

As we are required to develop new products that match developments in a rapidly changing
world, we will undertake the following.
1.

Researchers shall gather their own information from around the world in order todevelop products that anticipate changing trends.

2.

We will advance appropriate product creation by preparing quality function deployment(QFD) matrices that visualize establishment of design and production quality for eachproduct development process.

3.

Eliminating the need for "redoing" will be vital for speeding up product development. We
will make efforts to establish mass production technologies for ensuring smoothtransition from research to actual production.

Yoshiyuki Mitsuhira
Director & Senior Corporate
Officer
Division Manager Research & Development
Center

I believe these initiatives will allow us to develop products that satisfy the customer.

In July 2014, we entered an agreement with Kawasaki City for the use of tsunami evacuation
centers when tsunami warnings are issued. This collaboration initiative means that officefacilities will be used as temporary tsunami evacuation centers by those who have to evacuate
to higher ground when a tsunami warning is issued. In order to identify the corresponding
facilities, a sign provided by Kawasaki City is placed at tsunami evacuation centers.

Tsunami Evacuation
Center (No. 8)-2-