2026 New Year's Greeting from President (Hitoshi Kawahara)
Last year, many of the Kuraray Group’s businesses and products were directly or indirectly affected by increasing uncertainty in the global economy caused by US customs policies and global geopolitics. The external environment is expected to remain uncertain in 2026. Therefore, we must respond flexibly to a variety of changes in the environment, maintain profits, and prepare for the future.
2026 is the final year of our medium-term management plan, “PASSION 2026”. It is an important year in which we must pave the way for the Kuraray Group to achieve sustainable growth by taking future-focused actions while also achieving the goals in the plan.
Take ownership of the “Three Challenges,” actively participate, and turn them into the driving force for building a better future.”
In “PASSION 2026”, we presented the key issues that Kuraray is addressing as the “three challenges”, and we are currently implementing many initiatives for each of them.
For example, in the area of “Sustainability as an Opportunity”, we updated our GHG emission reduction target to achieve carbon net-zero. Although global environmental policies have changed, such as the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, we will maintain a long-term perspective and steadily work toward our GHG reduction goal.
In the area of “Innovations Starting from Networking”, we have focused on connecting Kuraray resources with third party resources, strengthening alliances with startups and promoting open innovation. Last year, we acquired the American startup, Nelumbo. We hope to create new businesses by combining Nelumbo’s various surface modification technologies with the Kuraray Group’s expertise in R&D, production, technology, and business management and deployment.
Finally, in the area of “Transformation of People and Organization”, we have launched the Kuraray Northstar Project. North Star means “guiding principle,” “goal,” or “constant presence.” Many of you may be hearing about this project for the first time. Its primary objective is to transform the global organizational structure and business processes, mainly of corporate divisions, to enhance cooperation across borders. To do so, each corporate division will divide areas of collaboration into those that should be led by the head office and those that should be pursued at each location’s discretion. We will determine the best organizational management structure to improve and efficiently run support functions for the Kuraray Group’s business activities and transition to it over a period of several years.
The HR Division’s THRIVE project, which is aimed at global HR transformation, is also a part of this initiative. THRIVE is a word that means “to grow strongly” and “to flourish.” The goal of the project is to create an HR function that supports employees in a variety of situations, attracts talented individuals, and promotes the sustainable growth of our business. I am hopeful that by reconsidering our organization and how our business is run, we can share the spirit of One Kuraray across divisions so that the entire Kuraray Group has a shared awareness of business optimization.
All of these challenges will take time, as will any meaningful reform, so the impact may not be immediately visible. However, each initiative will make us stronger and help build a better future. I ask that each of you take ownership of the “three challenges,” take an interest in these projects and initiatives, and actively participate.
Make this 100th anniversary a moment to learn from the past and find inspiration to create the future.
Now, Kuraray will celebrate its 100th anniversary on June 24th this year.
Project members at all our global locations are currently planning and preparing a variety of 100th anniversary events and initiatives. The first project is the “100 Challenge” app, which launches today. This app has a variety of fun activities that you can participate in with colleagues around the world. We will post details of the many projects and events scheduled globally on the 100th anniversary portal site in both English and Japanese, so be sure to take a look.
I encourage you once again to use the 100th anniversary as an opportunity to think about the journey that the Kuraray Group has been on since its establishment, and about its pioneering spirit, which is so fundamental that it is a part of our DNA. It is not about being nostalgic. Rather, it is about contemplating and examining the past for hints that can help us create a better future.
I hope that you will actively participate in these projects so that you can experience a variety of connections, share the values that the Kuraray Group has fostered over the years, and further strengthen the unity of “One Kuraray.” I sincerely hope that these 100th anniversary initiatives will be a new step towards the Kuraray Group’s future.
Safety is the cornerstone of everything we do
For all of us to celebrate the 100th anniversary and move forward together, it is essential that the Kuraray Group be a "a safe workplace and a company in which everyone can work with confidence." Each of us must remember that “safety is the cornerstone of everything we do” and think deeply about safety as we work. We must also think and act proactively without fear of failure. I believe that by doing so, we can ensure that the Kuraray Group will continue to be a creative and dynamic corporate entity.
I wish everyone in the Kuraray Group worldwide and their families a healthy, happy, and prosperous year.
※This is the New Year’s greeting delivered to Kuraray Group employees on January 5, 2026.