Business &
Products
HighChem operates across five business segments: Core Materials, Electronics, Life Sciences, Carbon Design, and Energy Solution.
Our Strength
As a leading fine chemicals partner bridging Japan and China, we operate from our Tokyo headquarters with a comprehensive network spanning mainland China. Our footprint now extends to Europe and North America, giving us truly global capabilities with deep regional knowledge.
Our strength comes from our people—professionals who bring deep technical expertise and genuine respect for different cultures. This combination of specialization and diversity creates an organizational culture that's both resilient and adaptive.
With four research facilities across Japan and China and a team of over 60 scientists, we're driving innovation in catalysis, decarbonization, and energy technologies. Our commitment to R&D is reflected in our growing IP portfolio: more than 160 patents filed, granted, or licensed.
【Japan-China Fine Chemicals Leader】 Commodity to cutting-edge. Functional to sustainable. We move fast and deliver results that matter.
【Advanced Materials. Global Reach. Reliable Delivery.】 Our global supply network delivers high-performance materials for semiconductors, displays, and manufacturing equipment—ensuring the building blocks of tomorrow's electronics reach you reliably, anywhere in the world.
【Supporting health, safety, and well-being】 We deliver essential products and services such as pharmaceuticals, agricultural Chemicals, and food products and food additives with thorough quality control. We support people's safe and secure lives.
【Where Research Meets Scale】 C1-based SEG® technology. CO₂-derived chemicals. Bio-based materials. By combining Japan's R&D excellence with China's scale-up capabilities, we transform fundamental research into viable commercial products.
【Powering the Energy Transition】 Hydrogen infrastructure. Advanced battery systems. Sustainable aviation fuel. We're tackling the critical challenges that will define the next era of energy.
Projects
In January 2026, HighChem launched a new management structure! From founder and Chairman Taka Ushio to new President Taka Yuichi. To commemorate this significant milestone, "HighChem Story" presents a series titled "BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE ~A Bridge to the Future Envisioned by the New Management Structure~". The theme of the second installment of the series is "Generation Bridge ~Connecting Thoughts, Continuing Challenges~", featuring a father-son dialogue between Chairman Takashi Takashi and President Taka Yuichi.
HighChem will begin a new structure on January 1, 2026. Taka Ushio, the former Representative Director and President will become Pepresentative Director, and Yuichi Taka, who has served as Director until now, will become President Representative Director and President. Furthermore, Senior Director Jinsong Lin will be appointed Director Vice President and CEO, ushering in a new structure. To mark the start of the new structure, HighChem Story will be publishing a series of interviews and roundtable discussions with key members of the new structure, titled "BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE - A bridge to the future envisioned by the new structure." The first installment of the series is a message from the new president.
There are only 25 years left until carbon neutrality is achieved by 2050. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has sounded the alarm that to achieve this ambitious goal, approximately 1 billion tons of CO2 will need to be removed from the atmosphere per year. Technologies that have attracted attention so far include direct CO2 capture from the atmosphere, such as Direct Air Capture (DAC), developed by companies such as Swiss company Climeworks. However, CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is only 0.04%, making it difficult to increase capture efficiency. Among these, attention is now turning to the ocean, the source of all life.
Sarawak is Malaysia's largest state, blessed with rich nature and diverse culture. Currently, Sarawak is attracting attention from around the world as a useful investment destination. The state boasts the largest natural gas production in Malaysia, and is currently operating hydroelectric power plants totaling approximately 3.5 gigawatts, utilizing its abundant hydroelectric resources, with plans to expand to 15 gigawatts by 2035. In May, HighChem signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Sarawak Petchem, owned by the Sarawak state government, and agreed to develop a business locally using its SEG® technology.
The infinite possibilities of microalgae are drawing worldwide attention. Not only does it play a role as the starting point of the food chain, but it also has a wide range of applications, including as a next-generation protein source, a raw material for biofuel, and even contributing to the realization of carbon neutrality. In this interview, Ni Liangping, president of Guangyu Biotech, an innovative Chinese biotechnology company with which we have a strategic partnership, talks about the potential of microalgae and the advanced technology of photobioreactors that realize industrial applications. CEO of Yueqing Guangyu Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (Guangyu Biotech) Born in December 1983.
HighChem () and Carbon Energy Corporation, a Chinese climate tech company, jointly exhibited at the H2 & FC EXPO [Spring] Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Expo for three days from February 19 to 21. On the 21st, the last day of the exhibition, HighChem and Carbon Energy announced the establishment of a joint venture company, HighEnergy Co. The joint venture will promote research and development of advanced technologies for effective CO2 utilization and provide technical support. In today's report, we would like to share with you an interview with Mr. Peng Kang, the founder and CEO of Carbon Energy.
In July 2024, The North Face unveiled the world’s first sports uniform incorporating a new CO₂-derived material—commercialized with the aim of realizing a decarbonized society. The uniform will be worn in sporting climbing competitions by national teams from Japan, the United States, Australia, and South Korea. This new technology is an initiative to replace paraxylene—the raw material for polyester, which has traditionally been derived from petroleum—with a CO₂-derived alternative.
In addition to Europe and the US, HighChem is actively expanding into Asian countries, including Southeast Asia other than China. India, where the population continues to grow and the economy is growing rapidly, is no exception. In India, the government is working at a fast pace to transition the automotive industry to EVs (electric vehicles), and has set a goal of increasing EVs to more than 30% of new car sales by 2030. In the midst of this, Indian companies looking for high-quality EV and ESS (storage battery) materials have focused their attention on network HighChem has built up over the years in Japan and China.
Hydrogen is expected to become the next generation Energy to realize a decarbonized society. HighChem 's catalyst development capabilities and scale-up capabilities are expanding into the field of hydrogen Energy. The company has teamed up with a major Chinese precious metals supplier to participate in a Japan-China joint project by JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and China's Ministry of Science and Technology (equivalent to the former Science and Technology Agency of Japan). The two companies have succeeded in developing a high-performance catalyst to extract hydrogen from formic acid, which is attracting attention as a "hydrogen carrier" that can safely and efficiently store and transport hydrogen, as well as a technology to synthesize formic acid from carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and are currently considering applying for a patent.
The first interview with a business partner in the HighChem Story was planned with the cooperation of OAT Agrio Co., Ltd., which is involved in the research, development, manufacturing and sales of pesticides and fertilizers. OAT Agrio is a major pesticide company that was spun off from Otsuka Chemical. For HighChem, it is an important business partner with whom we have had a business relationship for over 10 years. The member of this roundtable discussion was Hirofumi Nakagawa from OAT Agrio, who came all the way from Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture.