Nippon Pigment's vision for sustainable growth

“For liquid dispersion, the next focus will be the metal material area of the semiconductor industry, with our mixing technology potentially making this a key market.“

Tatsumi Kato, President, Nippon Pigment Co., Ltd.

Japanese manufacturing faces various challenges and opportunities, and Nippon Pigment is one company taking advantage of its reputation for reliability. Despite benefits of a depreciated JPY, this is countered with the shift back to the domestic market after COVID, while the rising material prices from China impact performance.

"We are reviewing our entire business in the aftermath of the pandemic to focus our investments on areas that will help support the sustainability of our operation," says company president Tatsumi Kato.

To address demographic changes, Nippon Pigment is diversifying its workforce, introducing male and female workers, local and foreign, while investing in automation to ease physical burdens. This approach mirrors the production facility of its affiliated company in China, which, thanks to automation, has increased productivity sevenfold.

One major strength is its liquid dispersion technology, and Mr. Kato identifies the automotive and semiconductor industries as key markets for this, especially as the automotive industry transitions to electric vehicles.

"We are developing die bonding materials for power semiconductors, and monitoring continued growth in the sector."

In line with global Sustainable Development Goals, Nippon Pigment is actively pursuing environmentally sustainable solutions and initiatives to reduce waste and energy consumption. Another important aspect is partnerships to sustain overseas operations, Korea and Indonesia being key examples.

Looking further ahead, the president is aiming for some clear outcomes from their ongoing review process.

"I would like to get a good evaluation of our liquid dispersion technology, which will be the first step in transforming our business model," Mr. Kato concludes.