27 Oct 2026
Set for operation in January 2028, Kawasaki facility will support scale-up of existing and new products
Tokyo – Zeon Corp. has started the construction of a 'multi-product research and prototyping facility' at its Kawasaki Innovation Frontier Port in Kanagawa prefecture.
The Japanese group held a groundbreaking ceremony 16 Oct and is targeting the start of operations in January 2028, said a 19 Oct company release.
The facility will be established within an existing building at the site's R&D centre and is intended to accelerate the transition from R&D to commercial-scale production.
According to Zeon, the facility will incorporate key production processes including polymerisation, hydrogenation, coagulation and drying.
It will also be designed to accommodate a wide range of manufacturing conditions and operating methods, enabling faster production of samples from laboratory to intermediate scale.
The investment is expected to support both existing and new businesses, helping to accelerate the commercialisation of high-value-added products.
Zeon also intends to use the facility as a base for developing new processes, operating technologies, analytical methods and measurement technologies.
In the longer term, the company said it could also undertake prototype production for external customers.
The project forms part of Zeon's wider development of the Kawasaki Innovation Frontier Port, which combines its Kawasaki manufacturing plant and R&D centre.
The site has historically supported Zeon's elastomers business, with the Kawasaki plant manufacturing speciality synthetic rubber and latex products.
A separate co-creation innovation facility at the site is scheduled to begin operations in December. (ERJ report)
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