Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (TYO:5101) recently announced that it is supplying the Geolandar X-CV G99A as an OE tire for the new Nissan Rogue SUV, which Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (TYO:7201) released last October in the North American market. Fulfilling Nissan’s need for a tire that combines eco-friendliness with maneuverability, the Geolandar X-CV G99A has been met with positive feedback....
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Sumitomo Rubber Set to Improve Materials Simulation Capabilities by Using Fugaku Supercomputer
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) recently announced that it has succeeded in its application to utilize the Fugaku supercomputer for industrial research in 2021. Opened up for use by the academic and industrial research sectors this March, Fugaku is part of Japan’s High-Performance Computing Infrastructure (HPCI). By utilizing the supercomputer, Sumitomo Rubber will look to speed up improvements to its...
Supply–Demand Balance Tightens in Japan’s EPDM Rubber Market
Japan’s market for ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) is tightening due to a number of factors, with trends in the COVID-19 pandemic top among this list. While demand for EPDM rubber did decline as a result of the virus, it has more recently been making a resurgence due to the turnaround in automotive production recovery that started last autumn. And...
JSR to Seek Early Retirement by Elastomers Workers 40 and Over With Three-Plus Years’ Employment
JSR Corp. (TYO:4185) plans to solicit early retirement among about 100 employees in its elastomers business. Seeking to make the change to a more robust business structure, JSR is optimizing its production capacity and product portfolio, rationalizing prices and working to bring about major improvements in its operating efficiency. The company is also implementing unlimited structural reforms throughout its organization,...

Sumitomo Rubber Develops New Device to Make Battery-Free Tire Sensors a Reality
Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (TYO:5110) recently announced that it has developed a new energy harvester device that can be attached to the inside of a tire to generate power via static electricity from the tire’s rotation. This development came about as part of a joint project with Kansai University. By optimizing structures and materials for this frictional power generation, Sumitomo...

Toyo Tires Launches Project to Promote Car-Based Sightseeing in Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture
Toyo Tire Corp. (TYO:5105) has announced that this May it will be launching the Miyagi Beautiful View Project, an initiative aimed at showing the appeal of Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture and encouraging people to take car-based sightseeing trips to there. Miyagi Prefecture is also home to Toyo Tires’ Sendai Plant, a major base located in the city of Iwanuma. The company...