November 18, 2020
NAGASE & CO., LTD.
NAGASE to Launch SaaS Service
Powered by TABRASA New Material Search Platform:
Value Provided by Data on Systematic Materials Informatics Knowledge Developed
Jointly with IBM Will Accelerate R&D Innovation through Digital Transformation● NAGASE, a trading company specializing in materials, has launched a cloud-based SaaS service formaterials informatics which developed by jointly with IBM.
● The service will achieve an industry first in incorporating two different approaches: in addition toanalytics, which are mainstream in materials informatics, it features a cognitive approach enabling
more efficient searching for new materials.
● The NAGASE Group will leverage its customer networks to expand provision of the service widely
throughout the industry.
NAGASE & CO., LTD. (Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: KenjiAsakura) will launch a service utilizing the TABRASA new material search platform
developed jointly with International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). NAGASE willcommercialize IBM technology as a SaaS service for materials informatics (MI). This cloudbased software service will be provided to a wide range of NAGASE Group customers andsuppliers including manufacturers of highly functional materials and biochemicals, and will
support problem-solving and innovation through digital transformation (DX) of R&D
processes.
MI is a materials development technology that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) and thelatest data processing techniques to efficiently search for new materials. Major materials
manufacturers in Japan and abroad have been developing their own MI technology as a wayof enabling them to achieve much shorter R&D timelines, but development costs andrecruitment of specialist personnel have presented obstacles. TABRASA overcomes such
obstacles, since the service is delivered through a SaaS platform that securely manages users’
confidential information in IBM’s cloud environment and offers a high degree of usability
even in the absence of specialist personnel with advanced knowledge and techniques. Users
can access a leading-edge MI service without initial investment, simply by paying runningcosts.
The strengths of TABRASA lie in its ability to search for materials with two different engines
driven and possessed by IBM Research: an analytics approach that harnesses AI machine1learning to suggest chemical structures for new materials from substances’ molecular
structure and physical property data, and a cognitive approach.1 The cognitive approachaccumulates data on users’ basic technologies, patented technologies, research results, anddocuments such as theses and technical materials into a systematic knowledge base.
Generally, unstructured information such as theses and business documents cannot beprocessed or analyzed as data in their existing form. A strength of TABRASA’s cognitive
approach is precise natural language processing that structures data and accuratelyunderstands content. This approach is expected to suggest methods of synthesis and othertechniques that are not bound by fixed ideas and preconceptions based on large volumes ofaccumulated knowledge. Since TABRASA is highly customizable, knowledge can besystematized according to user fields and aims, and increasing data input leads toimprovement in the quality of suggestions made. Thus, according to the way it is used,
TABRASA can be developed into a solution offering powerful support to researchers.
Initially the two engines will be offered separately, but capability to link them will be addedin the future to enable more efficient material searching. MI linking these two approaches
will be an industry first (based on NAGASE’s research).
NAGASE anticipates a wide range of customers for this new service, ranging from major
Japanese manufacturers to SMEs and venture companies, and aims to quickly develop theservice into a business with earnings of several billion yen and extend it overseas. “We wantto fundamentally change the R&D scene and concept in Japan,” says Executive OfficerYasumitsu Orii, who is General Manager of the New Value Creation Office and leads thedevelopment project. “NAGASE has been able to develop this service because we are a
trading company with broad customer networks that handles diverse materials. In addition
to offering support for users’ DX efforts in R&D and building infrastructure with MI services
at their core, we intend to develop a platform for resolving various issues, including
provision of a matching forum for trading data and resources that will become sources ofvalue.”“We are excited to continue our collaboration with NAGASE, a worldwide leading material
provider, on the ”Materials Informatics” project, where we together combine IBM’s engines
for materials discovery, leveraging AI to substantially accelerate the development cycle ofnext generation advanced materials,” remarks Dr. Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow, Vice
President Europe and Africa, IBM Research and Director, IBM Research Zurich. “Together,
we aim to continue utilizing AI to swiftly accelerate the development cycle for the next
generation of cutting-edge materials.”2Through our new business model of identifying issues yet to be noticed by our business
partners and providing value leading to solutions, NAGASE aims to create a society full ofwarmth, where people can live in safety, security, and comfort.

1. Features of TABRASA▪ Inquiries
NAGASE & CO., LTD.
https://www.nagase.co.jp/
Corporate Administration Office, Corporate Planning Department Tel: +81-3-3665-3640
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