Toyoda Gosei, Tohoku University launch materials R&D centre

Kiyosu, Japan – Toyoda Gosei and Japan's Tohoku University have established a joint research centre to accelerate the development of high-performance rubber, plastic and other functional materials.

Launched 1 July, the ‘co-creation research centre for functional materials' will combine Toyoda Gosei's expertise in rubber and plastics with Tohoku University's advanced materials analysis and simulation capabilities.

Toyoda Gosei said it will contribute its materials technology, including expertise in rubber and plastics.

The collaboration supports the group's 2030 business plan, which targets the commercialisation of higher value-added products that contribute to safety, comfort and decarbonisation.

The university will contribute research assets including its NanoTerasu synchrotron radiation facility, simulation technology based on computational data and data science.

By combining these capabilities, the partners aim to develop "rubber, plastic and other materials with novel functions."

The three-year collaboration will also support technical research across multiple disciplines, foster talent through joint R&D programmes and serve as a platform for collaboration with industry.

The research centre will be led by Shigeaki Kurokawa, deputy chief of Toyoda Gosei's R&D headquarters, together with Prof. Tomonaga Okabe, director of the research centre for ‘Green X-Tech’ at Tohoku University's graduate school of engineering.