JSR Marks Its 50th Anniversary
On December 10, 2007, JSR Corporation ("JSR"; president: Yoshinori Yoshida; head office: Tokyo) marked the fiftieth year of its founding. A number of business initiatives have taken place, or are planned, to celebrate this milestone. These include local community contributions, expansion of training institutions, new R&D facilities, a new corporate slogan, and a commemorative book.
Purpose of the Commemorative Business Initiatives
Viewing its 50th Anniversary as a significant turning point, JSR is taking several commemorative business initiatives. The aim of these is to express gratitude to the various local governments and communities neighboring JSR facilities. The company considers that it owes an obligation to these groups and, at the same time, wishes to strengthen its technological and human resources, while expanding its business fields for future growth.
Main Commemorative Business Initiatives
1) Local community contributions.
Following requests from local governments and communities where JSR facilities are located, JSR has expressed its gratitude by presenting specialized books, vehicles, electro-luminescent (EL) displays, and liquid crystal (LC) TVs, among other items.
Yokkaichi Plant Area - (November 24, 2007)
o Mie Prefecture: JSR presented to prefectural libraries the "JSR Collection," comprising some 850 textbooks on such subjects as specialized chemicals.
o Yokkaichi City: JSR presented three (3) fire-fighting vehicles, one for fire investigations and two for fire prevention instruction.
o Neighboring local government offices: JSR presented LC TVs.
Chiba Plant Area - (November 30, 2007)
o Ichihara City: JSR presented a pickup vehicle for physically challenged people.
o Ichihara City Hall and neighboring elementary schools and public facilities: JSR presented LC TVs.
- Kashima Plant Area - (to be completed on December 27, 2007)
o Kamisu City: JSR presented LED electro-luminescent (EL) displays.
2) Expansion of educational institutions for staff training.
JSR has set up new training centers at its three primary plants in order to enhance the educational environment at each location and promote the dissemination of technologies.
o Yokkaichi Training Center established on March 22, 2007
o Chiba Training Center established on November 29, 2007
o Kashima Training Center established on November 29, 2007
[a] Dissemination of technologies at manufacturing sites:
o JSR implements education programs that convey what a manufacturing site ought to be: [i] by striving to improve plant technology education through training in necessary core knowledge related to technological dissemination at manufacturing sites; and [ii] with simulation training on an ad-hoc basis.
o JSR ensures enough space for on-the-job training as the source for technological dissemination, where trainees can actually practice and experience, and the company is expanding the number of training instruments and devices.
o At the Yokkaichi Plant, trainees experience and receive education with a miniature plant in various areas that are difficult to implement in actual plants on line.
[b] Reinforcing of staff educational programs:
o By expanding facilities dedicated to education, JSR is further enhancing training programs that meet in-house needs.
o JSR prepares conference rooms suited to training on both a small scale and a large scale, and separated for each training level.
3) New facilities for R&D and product development:
[a] Establishment of a research institute to strengthen basic research: Kinki University Molecular Engineering Institute, JSR Functional Material Research Center, completed on March 28, 2007. JSR strives to strengthen basic research for next-generation material development based on polymer material technologies and to expand the search for technological seeds that will be core of next-generation business. The company has made strides in basic research that leads to product development in business fields that JSR considers to be growing, including electronics, environment and energy, and medical care.
[b] Establishment of a precision-processing research facility in the Yokkaichi area, completed on December 5, 2007. With the aim of promoting the acquisition and superiority of precision-processing element technologies using this new facility, JSR enhances its precision-processing pilot facilities now in operation. The new facility will also help streamline ongoing internal R&D in precision-processing technologies relevant to optical and functional materials.
4) New corporate slogan: "With Chemistry, We Can."
In a move to strengthen the value of its corporate brand, JSR has adopted a new corporate slogan: "With Chemistry, We Can." The slogan expresses the infinite possibilities of chemistry, and JSR's approach, which is to pursue to the fullest its potential as a chemical company. The new slogan has been used since April 2007 in TV commercials, in PR activities, on corporate stationery, on promotional items, and in other ways.
5) Commemorative book.
