While economic conditions are taking a hit from COVID-19, Japan’s demand for infrastructure-related products has avoided any major slump, staying comparatively firm. The infrastructure maintenance sector makes use of a wide range of rubber and plastic products for all sorts of applications. This includes conveyor belts and hoses used for moving materials and dirt at building sites, as well as...
Coronavirus
Denka Research for Infection Testing Selected for Subsidies Under AMED Project
Denka Co. Ltd. (TYO:4061) announced on June 10 that it has been offered subsidies for an in-house R&D effort focused on infection testing. The company has been working here to develop and test new multiplexed diagnostics technology that targets COVID-19 alongside a range of other infections. The subsidy offer came in on May 28 from the Japan Agency for Medical...
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Asahi Rubber Helps Prevent COVID-19 Infections by Providing Free Face Shields to Medical Institutions
Asahi Rubber Inc. (TYO:5162) is producing and donating face shields to help prevent droplet infection at medical facilities dealing with the novel coronavirus. As a recent effort here, the manufacturer of industrial rubber products sent through a free shipment to the Fukushima Association for Clinical Engineering Technologies (FACET). These face shields are used to cover the heads of patients on...
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Denka Begins Producing Raw Materials for Avigan as Effort Against Novel Coronavirus
Denka Co. Ltd. (TYO:4061) recently began production of diethyl malonate for use in Avigan, a potential COVID-19 treatment known also by the generic name of favipiravir. This production began on May 16 at the chemical company and chloroprene rubber producer’s Omi Plant in Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture. Denka sees itself as having a social responsibility to help out with measures against...
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Mitsui Chemicals Sees Sales Revenue Drop for FY2019
Mitsui Chemicals Inc. (TYO:4183) recently posted its business results for fiscal 2020 to reveal sales of just under 1.34 trillion yen ($12.52 billion), down 9.7 percent year-on-year. The company’s overall operating income totaled a little below 71.64 billion yen, down by 23.3 percent, with ordinary income down 36.4 percent to slightly under 65.52 billion yen and net income down 50.1...
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Toyoda Gosei Sees Operating Profit Halve for FY2019 Due to Coronavirus
Toyoda Gosei Co. Ltd. (TYO:7282) recently posted its business results for fiscal 2019, revealing year-on-year decreases in a number of performance metrics. This included sales revenue of 812.94 billion yen ($7.6 billion), down 3.3 percent year-on-year; operating profit of 17.89 billion yen, down 51 percent; and net profit of 11.23 billion yen, down 51.8 percent. In Japan specifically, Toyoda Gosei’s...
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