FY2014 CSR Website CSR > Site Reports > Worksites > R&D Center

The R&D Center is located next to the Kawasaki Plant in a section of the petrochemicalcomplex in Kawasaki across the Tama River from Haneda Airport.
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 of contributing to society through theongoing creation of world-leading products that "do not imitate and cannot be imitated" using
unique, innovative, and environmentally friendly technologies.
On the premises of the ZEON Takaoka Plant, in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, we also

Aerial view of the R&D Center

carry out development of optical film for application to LCD televisions and next-generation displays, materials for organic EL
lighting, which contributes to energy conservation, and medical equipment, such as catheters, used in the examination andtreatment of blood vessels, the digestive organs, the gallbladder, and other parts of the body.
Through the development of such diverse materials and parts that make life more convenient, as well as the creation anddelivery to 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 bysociety.”
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 productsthat benefit the global environment and human prosperity.
* Zero emissions:
The establishment of systems that discharge no emissions into the natural world, and the fundamental idea behind such establishment.

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-FY2014 CSR Website CSR > Site Reports > Worksites > R&D CenterIn fiscal 2013, 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 are the start point for safety activities. 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 thestarting point for dealing with and communicating those dangers. These activities were successful, and we were able to achieve
9 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 or environment incidents). The center also continued to keep
landfill disposal at zero throughout the year by thoroughly sorting and recycling waste generated by research activities.
In fiscal 2014, 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”
in conformance with the ZEON R&D Policy. We intend to realize this aim by raising our manufacturing capabilities while
monitoring a variety of aspects including intellectual property, safety, product quality, costs, and productivity in all development
stages. Continuing from the previous year, in fiscal 2013, we collaborated with research facilities on the theme of production
sites in particular, with improvement measures attaining significant results.
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 each product 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(as of April 2014)

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

In July 2013, 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.
In December 2013, the Kawasaki Plant joined in with other local business on the Kawasaki
City-organized “2ndTonomachi-Yako Major Cleaning Operation.” The area from the Keikyu

Daishi Line Kojimashinden Station to the footpath that runs along the Tonomachi Yakosen
street was cleaned.

-2-Tsunami Evacuation
Center (No. 8)