Medium-Term Management Plan artience 2027 | Integrated Report 2026 Technology & Intellectual Property Strategy: Bringing together the group's technological expertise to pioneer the next growth areas through innovation
Published on June 30, 2026
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An ever-expanding technology platform
Toshinori Machida
At the core of artience group 's technology strategy are core technologies such as polymer design, small molecule and colorant design, dispersion, and coatings, and combining these creates a diverse range of materials. Process technologies required for manufacturing, as well as digital and analytical technologies for advanced performance, are also important elements. Based on this technology platform, the value provided to society through functions and applications is created. Its greatest feature is its scalability, which continuously creates new products and businesses by combining multiple technologies.
To support this, collaboration that transcends barriers between operating companies is indispensable. Each operating company has its own priorities and criteria for decision-making, but in technology development, it is necessary to leverage the group's expertise across the board and sometimes share human resources and resources. The group development strategy meeting leads this kind of collaboration, and since I became CTO, I have strengthened its functions.
While short- and mid-term development is handled by each operating company, the group needs to approach themes from a longer-term perspective. One example is the development of materials for UV-curable inks that do not emit harmful substances at our European site. Even if regulations are not strictly regulated at present, proactive measures that anticipate growing future safety needs can set a new industry standard. We will tackle these challenges, which are difficult for the operating company to tackle alone, after discussion at the Group Development Strategy Meeting.
In addition, collaboration with external parties is also important. We emphasize open innovation and actively promote joint development with major domestic companies and startups both domestically and internationally. We intend to incorporate ideas and technologies that are not extensions of our own initiatives and integrate them with our own technologies to create new value.
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Policy (1) |
Development of new products, new technologies, and new production technologies in strategic key business groups |
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Policy (2) |
Expansion through new product and business development overseas |
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Policy (3) |
Challenging New Research and Development Methods |
- Transforming research and development methods through the integration of technology platforms, generative AI, MI (Materials Informatics), and computational chemistry
- Further expansion of open innovation
- Utilization of Strategic Intellectual Property in Business
Transforming the development process through proactive use of AI and big data
Currently, we are particularly focused on transforming development processes through generative AI. We have incorporated vast technical data accumulated over the past 20 years into closed generative AI, creating an environment that allows cross-group utilization, and began operations in fiscal 2025. For example, when asked "How can we improve the heat resistance of pressure sensitive adhesives?", AI can provide answers at the same level as experienced employees.
This initiative also leads to the creation of collective knowledge that transcends business boundaries. When faced with obstacles during development, there have been cases where incorporating technologies and expertise from other businesses through AI has led to new solutions beyond imagination. Going forward, by combining technical data with marketing data, we aim to discover previously unrecognized technological applications and develop new markets and customers.
On the other hand, the advancement of production technology toward smart factories is also an important pillar. In Japan, where the population continues to decline, securing on-site personnel is a major challenge, and a shift to a system that does not rely on manual labor is essential. We have already operated model buildings for labor-saving and labor-saving at sites like the Kawagoe Plant, and we plan to expand the expertise gained here globally in the future.
In research and development, we will further promote laboratory automation. By automating nighttime experiments with AI and robots, researchers can focus on analysis and hypothesis building from the next morning. By clarifying the division of roles between humans and AI, we aim to reduce human burden while simultaneously improving development efficiency and quality.
Additionally, as the importance of intellectual property continues to grow, we have shifted to strategies that integrate development and intellectual property. In situations where product performance and cost are balanced, having strong patents greatly affects competitive advantage. Not only does it protect its own technology, but it also reads the development trends of other companies and acquires patents ahead of competitors in areas where future competition is expected. AI utilization is also key in intellectual property activities, and we are already actively incorporating it into patent searches, preparing application documents, and handling competing patents.
Creating future value through human sensibility based on historical data accumulated by AI
As CTO, my role is to consolidate the technologies dispersed across each company as 'assets of the entire group,' and to encourage challenges in areas that lead to strategic priority businesses that are not extensions of each business. Development is not something that yields results in a short period; it is built on countless trials and errors. Based on that, we identify "winning areas" starting from artience 's unique core technologies, and invest management resources such as people, goods, and money. It is my responsibility to envision the next medium-term management plan and the growth pillars for beyond, and to shape them into concrete technologies and product development.
Changes in the social environment are accelerating, and the accompanying challenges are emerging one after another. For example, while the spread of generative AI is driving device performance, new technical hurdles have emerged regarding power consumption and heat generation. It is important not only to meet immediate needs but also to anticipate future challenges and present solutions.
And precisely because of these circumstances, the importance of the role played by people stands out. AI excels at organizing past data and facts, but beyond that, it is humans who generate new ideas. In contrast to science, which is the accumulation of the past, the "human sensibility" that generates awareness and leaps for the future will become the source of our next competitive advantage. We will unite the full strength of the group and continue to pursue innovation aimed at creating "value that resonates with the senses."
Integration of technology platforms and approaches to technology and intellectual property
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