How Kuraray is preparing for future requirements today – through circular economy-oriented products, ISCC PLUS certification, and active engagement in initiatives such as the Renewable Carbon Initiative.

A century of Kuraray is a story of transformation and of a guiding question that remains just as relevant today: how can business success and social responsibility go hand in hand? This anniversary is not only a moment to reflect on key milestones, but also an opportunity to reconnect with the company’s founding spirit - the ambition to create tangible value for people and society through innovation.

Soil is a limited resource. What’s more, it only regenerates slowly. It can take many centuries for just one centimeter of soil to form. That means it’s especially important to protect the ground under our feet: Without healthy soils, there can be no food security, no biodiversity, no effective climate protection. Sustainable agriculture – from sowing to harvest – is therefore vital to make sure soil remains fertile and we can meet the growing demand for food. Innovative materials can help secure harvest yields, conserve resources, and reduce the loss of food and animal feed. Products from Kuraray play an important part in that.

A century ago, Kuraray’s founder in Japan laid the foundations for a company that always wanted to be more than just a successful business. He believed that success brings responsibility, that those who take should also give something back. That philosophy still shapes Kuraray today. It is reflected both in our corporate initiatives and, above all, in the commitment of our employees, who assume responsibility with drive and creativity – day after day, all round the world. Kuraray Europe GmbH – known as KEG for short – remained true to that principle in 2025.

These days, shatter-proof glazing is standard in architecture and vehicles. By contrast, one related aspect has only recently started to become more important: flood-resistant laminated glass. Given the increased frequency of severe weather events and rising water levels, buildings need better protection – without any reduction in transparency, visual appeal, or accessibility. That is made possible by a technology that was originally developed for hurricane-proof applications in the United States and is now used in spectacular glass constructions such as the Grand Canyon Skywalk, the Enzo Ferrari Museum in Italy, and the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge in China: SentryGlas® ionoplast interlayers from Kuraray. Now this high-performance material is becoming more significant for efficient and sustainable flood protection.

Access to dental care is something many of us take for granted. In some regions of the world, however, a first dental appointment can be a life-changing moment. That’s why Kuraray Noritake has been supporting humanitarian dental missions for years by providing high-quality materials and facilitating professional treatment in places where healthcare is unavailable or difficult to access. In this way, Kuraray Noritake, a dental company with worldwide operations, lives up to is aspiration of taking responsibility and improving people’s lives by offering hands-on assistance

Clean water is a scarce commodity. Globally, we therefore have a collective responsibility to protect this vital resource. One key technology used in modern water treatment is purification with activated carbon. More and more companies – from the food processing sector and the chemical industry to public utilities – rely on activated carbon filters for effective and sustainable water purification. As well as producing the activated carbons required for such processes, Kuraray’s subsidiary Chemviron ensures that they can be recycled sustainably – and has a host of other good ideas on how to keep the environment healthy. 

How it started: Our employees expressed an interest in more opportunities to learn from one another and tackle challenges together. That led to KuraPAIR, a mentoring program designed by Kuraray Europe GmbH to allow maximum freedom. Experienced colleagues pass on their knowledge and experience to mentees to support their personal and professional development. The most important factors are that the mentor and mentee get on well, trust one another, and share a common attitude. Essentially, everything’s possible, nothing’s set!

The durability, quality and recyclability of products play a key role in increasing sustainability. They help conserve resources, save energy and reduce emissions and waste. At Kuraray, we leverage our technological expertise to give our products precisely these attributes. At K 2025 – the leading international trade show for the plastics and rubber industries – which will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, in October, we will be showcasing PARAPET™ and KURALPHA™, two solutions that offer our partners in the automotive sector new options for the recycling of rear lights and the production of automotive displays.

Climate change is the biggest ecological challenge of our time. What is needed is decisive action and a rapid shift to a climate-neutral circular economy. As part of our PASSION 2026 management plan and its pillars “Planet”, “Product” and “People”, at Kuraray we are working intensively on switching to sustainable raw materials in our production processes. The mass balance approach is a key lever for this.

From cloud platforms and Big Data to artificial intelligence – companies are seizing the opportunities offered by digital transformation for new forms of cooperation and to develop innovative products, systems and processes. At Kuraray too, innovative digital technologies are bringing fundamental changes in how we produce our products and work together. Evidently, that means getting our employees on board. Therefore, we’ve developed an ambitious digital upskilling programme, which the first participants have now completed.

A company that people can be proud of – that was the vision of Kuraray’s founder, Magosaburo Ohara, a hundred years ago. Today, we’re continuing to work on making his vision reality. A group of employees from different areas of the company is especially committed to fostering diversity, equality and inclusion. The Better Together initiative they set up in 2022 aims to give a voice to everyone who feels that what they have to say has not (yet) attracted enough attention.

It was one of the product launches of the year: at the end of 2024, Kuraray presented its newly developed Trosifol® R3 at the glasstec trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany. This innovative addition to the Trosifol product family drew amazement from the trade world because it sets new standards for sustainability. It reduces CO2 emissions in production by up to 90 percent compared with the manufacture of conventional PVB glass interlayers. As well as facilitating demanding glazing projects, Trosifol® R3 significantly reduces their carbon footprint.

Good reason for celebration at Kuraray in Frankfurt am Main, Germany: both production plants at the site in Höchst Industrial Park have been awarded ISCC PLUS certification following an extensive audit. This sustainability certificate is regarded as the gold standard in the chemical industry. It documents the origin and processing of the raw materials used along the entire supply chain. Certification is a milestone in the company’s efforts to increase transparency and sustainability. 

Everyone who receives something, should give something back. That was the view propagated by our company’s founder, Magosaburo Ohara, a hundred years ago and it was an integral part of the establishment of the company. In keeping with this spirit, Kuraray still has a strong commitment to the communities where it operates. At Kuraray in Europe, we also focus on connecting with people at our locations and making a meaningful impact. In 2024, we put our values as a company and a team into practice through many initiatives and considerable personal commitment.

Water plays a key role in industrial production as process and cooling water. At the same time, water is a resource that is vital for survival. Therefore, more and more companies are focusing on saving water by repeatedly re-using it or treating it internally. That includes our AIS division, which produces interlayers for laminated safety glass at our site in Troisdorf, near Bonn in Germany. The Troisdorf site has been so successful that it has saved more than 700,000 cubic metres of fresh water since 2015.

Five internal events, two talks by external keynote speakers, one customer event, participating in the Malteser Social Day, and the Kuraray Golf Cup for a good cause – there was certainly nothing boring about Sustainable September at Kuraray Europe GmbH (KEG). Anyone who was interested could find out more about the sustainability activities at our company, take a broader look beyond their own work or get involved in joint charitable events. Many people took part and took away plenty of food for thought and a clear motivation not to slacken when it comes to the major future issue of sustainability.

It may seem hard to believe, but every day large quantities of food are thrown away or lost, while an estimated 733 million people around the world go hungry. Over a year, a gigantic 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted: that’s about a third of the world’s total food production — a problem that concerns us all and needs to be addressed worldwide. Every year, on September 29, the United Nations draws attention to this on the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste. 

This September, sustainability is the centre of attention at Kuraray Europe GmbH – known as KEG for short. Of course, sustainability is nothing new to us! But from time to time, it is important to focus our attention on this topic, bring together internal and external stakeholders and ignite new enthusiasm. After all, what is more important than sustainability? Our progress in this area will shape the world we and our children live in in the future. It should be a better world – and we want to contribute to that.

Glass is fascinating. No other material stimulates such creativity and offers more opportunities. In art, science and our daily lives: life without glass is unimaginable! Glass is versatile, aesthetic and has remarkable technical properties. What’s more, it’s sustainable! Most types of glass are made from readily available natural raw materials. In some areas, recycling rates are already very high. More energy-efficient smelting technologies and optimized combinations of materials could reduce the carbon footprint of glass even further.

In our networked world, foreign experience is becoming more and more important in many companies. That includes Kuraray, which has locations in Europe, Asia and America. The benefits are clear: Mobility enhances the diversity of the people who work for us and they get to know one another better. Different perspectives and new ideas bring a breath of fresh air and employees broaden their personal and professional competencies. That’s good for the expats and the company as a whole.