Creating a "future we can love" with the next generation

Born in 1919 from natural materialsCelluloid, the world's first plasticDaicel Corporation was created by uniting eight companies that produceFor more than 100 years, the company has been manufacturing products beyond the boundaries of chemistry, including plastics, films, high-performance materials, and air bag inflators.In April 2024, we will establish the "Lovable Future Institute," and while being conscious of humanityAccelerating efforts to achieve a sustainable societyThe "Science Castle Research Fund Value Co-Creation Award" was established for junior high and high school students. This time, the "Science Castle Research Fund Value Co-Creation Award" has been newly established for junior and senior high school students to support the challenge of realizing a "future we can love" by the next generation of curious peers.

What is at the origin, what is inherited

　Daicel's origins date back to 1919. Daicel was a world leader in the manufacture and sale of celluloid, which was developed as the world's first plastic, but at the same time, the abusive logging of natural camphor wood, the raw material for camphor used in celluloid production ((excessive) fellingwas also a time when the issue of

　The founders of Daicel therefore developed their business by creating a sustainable supply chain where all people involved in the celluloid industry could coexist and prosper together, for example, by protecting the forests and fostering celluloid processing technology without over-competitive over-cutting of camphor trees. This spirit is still alive and well more than 100 years later. Based on the power of chemistry, Daicel creates diverse products that meet the needs of the times, and with the unchanging aspiration of "being a company that makes people happy through value co-creation," we are expanding our business globally in a wide range of fields beyond the boundaries of chemistry, and providing materials that benefit society and people.

Challenges toward a "future we can love" from the bottom of our hearts

　The "biomass value chain" concept proposed by Daicel is to create a sustainable, recycling-oriented industrial structure, starting with the utilization of forest resources, which account for approximately 70% of the country's land area, as biomass. By developing a unique low-temperature melting technology that can melt whole trees, the company envisions a future in which forests are regenerated, local economies are revitalized, and resources are recycled at the same time. To realize this vision, in 2023, the Biomass Green Innovation Center (BGIC) will be established in collaboration with Kanazawa University as a research and development base, and a new industry-government-academia collaboration has begun. The center is engaged in a wide range of applied research and development based on customer needs, including the establishment of technologies to create highly functional and high-value-added products from surplus biomass and the study of industrialization. One of their efforts toward carbon neutrality is the "solar super-reduction" process, in which CO₂ is reduced and converted to CO®︎This is the development of a technology called "CO₂ decomposition. Until now, CO₂ decomposition required a large amount of electricity, and to generate that electricity, a large amount of CO₂ had to be generated, but this technology can decompose CO₂ into carbon monoxide and oxygen by using the energy of sunlight. This is made possible by the use of technology that can generate nanodiamonds with a size of only 3-5 nm, utilizing the knowledge of explosives engineering, which is one of the core technologies of Dicel, which instantly inflates airbags. These nanodiamonds effectively cause a CO₂ reduction reaction, and since nanodiamonds do not degrade, the reaction can continue semipermanently. In addition, they have developed a microfluidic device, an ultra-compact chemical plant with ultra-fine grooves on a glass plate measuring only 7 x 3 cm, which is capable of generating ideal chemical reactions, and they are also taking on the challenge of ultra-efficient manufacturing.

　These are just a few examples of Daicel's challenges. Today, Daicel is taking on the challenge of creating a sustainable and more prosperous society through initiatives that go beyond conventional thinking and the co-creation of value with like-minded people. The driving force behind these challenges is the vision of a future that people who share the same aspirations can truly "love," a vision that has been in the forefront of our minds since our founding.

To bring your imagination to life

　Creating a future we can love. This is Daicel's motto, born from our desire to make the future beyond our business sustainable and prosperous. The future that we can truly love is still in our dreams. The Science Castle Research Fund Value Co-Creation Award, which will be established this year, is intended to support the free ideas that emerge from each individual's passionate desire to realize their own "future that we can love. The award is intended to encourage unconventional ideas that are not bound by conventional wisdom, themes that can be said with pride by the applicant, "This is interesting! I want you to share your passion for research that you have in your heart, regardless of your field. A "future you can love" should not end with just an idea. In order to make this future a reality, we will support not only Daicel's challenges, but also those of the students who apply for the Castle Research Grant, and together we will give shape to them one by one. By continuing to create beyond generations, a "future we can love" is sure to come to each of us.

Biomass Value Chain Concept

The project aims to create a low-carbon society by utilizing forests, which cover 70% of Japan's land area, as a substitute for petrochemical raw materials to create a recycling-oriented industrial structure. It aims to solve social issues by permanently circulating industrial resources from primary and secondary industries (forestry, agriculture, and fisheries), and by stimulating local economies through co-creation.