The Toagosei Group has listed the creation of new business units including those in the "fourth pillar" supporting our future and the expansion of high-value-added businesses in the medium-term management plan. We aim to create multiple new business units with new key materials and services that are based on the Toagosei Group's core technologies and that reach beyond our existing business fields.

Going forward, we will promote research and development by expanding the use of open innovation involving collaboration with industry, academia and other external resources. In addition, we strive to accelerate research and development with the introduction of electronic lab notebook and the analytical system of materials information (MI).

Research and development must maximize our own proprietary strengths and provide new solutions for customers while projecting our business vision and technological portfolio of 10 to 20 years into the future. On the research side, Toagosei endeavors to apply its technical core competences in new areas, conducting exploratory research to identify promising new technologies and functions and product development in areas where Toagosei excels in close cooperation with customers.