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JSR and Kinki University expand their Research Center of Advanced Materials
~ Promoting research in the Biomedical, Environment and Energy domains ~

CORPORATE  03/23/2010
TOKYO - 23 March 2010 - JSR Corporation (President: Mitsunobu Koshiba) and Kinki University (Chairman: Hiroaki Seto) have announced plans to expand on their joint research center. The Kinki University Molecular Engineering Institute - JSR Research Center of Advanced Materials is an industry-university collaborated research institute located in Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture. The facility will expand in terms of available space and on research themes.

The Research Center was established in March 2007, and an adjacent three-story (above-ground) building with a total floor area of 1400m2 will be added to the existing complex as a further research facility. The number of researchers is expected to increase, and the facility will begin full-fledged operations from April 2010. In addition to past research themes related to performance polymeric materials that have been undertaken, the expansion will allow JSR to research and develop products such as biocompatible materials and performance inorganic materials, with a view to enhance the fields of environment and energy, as well as biomedical materials. Pursuing such research and development will differ in terms of concept and viewpoint from that of research conducted solely at JSR, enabling the nurturing of new technologies that will become future pillars of JSR's businesses.

The Research Center is not only a company-sponsored, university research institution, but a place where industry and academia can operate in close coordination. The facility was established with the aim to produce technology platforms and link these to society's needs, eventually connecting these to widely-extensive and possible solutions. By engaging in large-scale research and focusing on high technological barriers five to ten years ahead, research results can eventually be made into products and commercialized, enabling the pursuance of research that is beneficial to society.

Thus far, new research of performance polymeric materials, with a focus on macromolecular synthesis has taken place at the Research Center. Since the opening of the facility, accomplishments such as 32 domestic and two overseas patent applications, 57 conference presentations and 13 academic papers have been submitted. In addition, several types of materials and technologies developed at the Research Center have been practically evaluated at JSR, with some products already considered for mass production. Three years have passed since the research institute was first established and better-than-expected results have been achieved.

Free from conventional notions, the Research Center will be utilized as a mechanism for new research where further challenges toward materials technology will be continued.

Overview of Kinki University Molecular Engineering Institute - JSR Research Center of Advanced Materials
Location: Faculty of Humanity-Oriented Science and Engineering, Kinki University 11-6 Kaya no Mori, Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Director: Takeshi Endo (Vice-President, Kinki University; Professor and Director, Kinki University Molecular Engineering Institute; Professor Emeritus, Tokyo Institute of Technology)
Size after expansion: Three-story above-ground building; gross floor area: 3100m2

About JSR Corporation
JSR Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ward, Tokyo) is a manufacturer of performance polymeric materials. With a global presence, JSR operates a wide variety of businesses ranging from the petrochemicals business, including the manufacture of synthetic rubber, to the information and electronic materials business, which includes the manufacture of semiconductor materials and liquid crystal display materials. JSR has five strategic businesses - processing of precision materials, environment and energy, bio / medical care, performance chemicals and information / communications-related. These business areas are positioned to be the leading forces of JSR's future growth and will thus be strengthened.

About Kinki University
With a history of 85 years, Kinki University (established 1925) is one of Japan's leading, private and comprehensive universities. The main campus is located in Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture. Centralized in Western Japan, the University has a current network of 11 undergraduate schools, a Graduate School of Law, 11 graduate schools, three university-affiliated hospitals and 19 research centers, among other facilities. In April 2010, the University will establish a Faculty of Applied Sociology. The number of students studying at the University is 31,877 (including undergraduate and graduate students).