Those involved in the petrochemical industry recently came together for the Asia Petrochemical Industry Conference (APIC) 2018 in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, with top industry members from each...
industry trends
Scheduled Maintenance of Ethylene Units Drops Utilization Rate Below 95% for First Time Since 2015
Japan’s ethylene production volume dropped 3 percent year-on-year last month to come in at 497,700 tons, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has reported. The lowered production volume...
Japanese Companies Expand R&D Presence in China
Japanese companies are increasingly setting up R&D bases in China. This comes as these companies feel that they can no longer effectively respond to Chinese demand simply by importing and...
China’s Petroleum, Chemical Industries Brace for Uncertainty Following Strong First Half
Total sales for January–June in China’s petroleum and chemical industries have come in at 6.43 trillion yuan ($937.2 billion), marking a 13.2 percent year-on-year increase. Coming in response to vigorous...
Japanese Paper and Packaging Companies Spur Nano-Fibrillated CNF Development
Japan is seeing a growing base of development support for cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) measuring only a few nanometers in diameter. Daio Paper Corp. (TYO:3880) announced on Aug. 1 that it...
Japanese Companies Develop World-First Technologies for High-Performance, Eco-Friendly Tires
Looking to maintain their competitiveness, Japanese tire companies have been working to develop new rubber materials using technologies that are the first of their kind worldwide. These new rubber materials...
Japanese Chemical Companies Take Aim at Europe’s Automotive Market – Part 1
Japanese automakers currently make up a one-third share of the North American market, but their share in Europe stands in the single digits. This as such has meant that parts...
Japan Makes Wave of Advancements in Epoxy Technologies
Japanese organizations have recently made a spate of innovations in epoxy materials, with efforts from Osaka University, Ando DK Co. Ltd. and more serving to open up new possibilities in...
Japanese Government to Encourage Digital Technologies in Resource Development
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) is working to support the introduction of digital technologies for exploiting resources such as petroleum and natural gas. The ministry will set...
Japan Makes Steady Progress With Ammonia Fuel – Part 3
Japan is moving forward in a significant manner with its manufacture of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and the development of technologies for utilizing this. As part of this trend,...
Japan Makes Steady Progress With Ammonia Fuel – Part 2
Japan is making prominent steps forward in its manufacture of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and the development of technologies for utilizing this. A key feature of ammonia is its...
Japan Makes Steady Progress With Ammonia Fuel – Part 1
A slew of achievements are coming out with respect to the manufacture of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier and the development of technologies for utilizing this. Success has been shown...
Chemical and Material Manufacturers Eye Sustainable Growth in Health Care Sector
Chemical and material manufacturers are focusing their efforts in on the health care sector, seeing here little risk of fluctuation effects and as such expecting sustainable growth over the medium–long...
Ethylene Demand Appears Set to Outpace Slew of New Production Facilities
Petrochemical insiders around the globe are coming to the conclusion that the tight supply–demand balance for ethylene, a base ingredient for petrochemical products, will continue through into the first half...
Foreign Companies Eye Indian Chemical Market as Local Production Stagnates
The major players in India’s chemical industry, particularly in the basic raw materials sector, are state-run enterprises and local conglomerates. Foreign companies are rarely seen in the market. But now,...
Sustainable Agriculture Set for Growth in Japan – Part 2
While organic farming is projected to grow in Japan, there are those who point to the need to also promote other methods of environmental protection as a means of increasing...
Sustainable Agriculture Set for Growth in Japan – Part 1
Sustainable agriculture is poised to take off in Japan. Organic farming, the prime example of this approach, has finally begun to show signs of growth. The area of arable land...
Silicon Wafer Shipments up for Fourth Straight Year, Setting New Record
Business is thriving in the industry for silicon wafers, which are a core component in semiconductors. SEMI, a U.S.-based industry group for the semiconductor supply chain, announced on Feb. 7...
Mid-Tier Smartphones Represent Next Frontier for OLED Displays
A turning point is on the horizon for the small and midsize display market. Following Apple Inc.’s release of the iPhone X with a flexible OLED screen last November, OLED...
Industry Outlook 2018: Battery and AI Technology
In the bid to realize a smart society, expectations are on the rise for battery cell technology. The proliferation of renewable energies is moving forward, and photovoltaic (PV) cells continue...
