We have received the splendid news that Professor Susumu Kitagawa, Distinguished Professor at Kyoto University, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. We extend our heartfelt congratulations. Professor Kitagawa's remarkable achievements could reshape the future of chemical production, and we express our deepest respect for his continued, profound impact on the advancement of environmentally harmonious technologies worldwide.

Since 2015, our company has participated in the Strategic Basic Research Programs (ACCEL: Accelerated Innovation Research Initiative) of JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency), contributing to research led by Professor Kitagawa on the application of Porous Coordination Polymers (PCP) to C1 chemistry. This initiative is rooted in the ideals of Green Chemistry, which seeks to make effective use of limited resources while reducing environmental burden, and we are confident that it represents a significant step toward realizing a sustainable society.

Furthermore, based on a technology license from UBE, our company has established a process for manufacturing ethylene glycol from synthesis gas, independent of conventional petroleum-derived feedstocks. To date, we have licensed this process to more than 20 companies, and in 2022, we succeeded in commencing operation of one of the world’s largest plants, with an annual production capacity of 1.8 million tons. We would also like to express our appreciation to Professor Kitagawa for his invaluable advice toward the development of future SEG® process technology. 

In the future, as part of our commitment to green chemistry, we will apply PCP-based gas separation technology to our manufacturing processes to further reduce environmental impact.

Professor Kitagawa’s outstanding achievements in MOF (Metal-Organic Framework) research, as well as his unwavering commitment from fundamental research to social implementation, serve as a great inspiration to us and a beacon of hope illuminating the future of chemistry in harmony with the environment.

We sincerely wish that Professor Kitagawa’s exceptional research accomplishments will continue to contribute to the building of a sustainable society. Once again, we express our deepest respect and warmest congratulations on this distinguished honor.
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• HighChem Company Limited
• Representative Director and President
• Taka Ushio