Sumitomo Chemical to Build New Synthesis Research Building at its Health & Crop Sciences Research Laboratory in Japan

Apr. 4, 2016

Sumitomo Chemical today announced that it has decided to build a new synthesis research building on the premises of its Health & Crop Sciences Research Laboratory (Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan).

The new synthesis research building will be designed to embrace the strategic concepts as outlined below and will serve as a global research and development base for the Company's Health & Crop Sciences Sector.

Sumitomo Chemical's research and development facilities in this field are currently located in Japan, the U.S., and France. In addition, a new research and development facility is to open during the course of fiscal 2016 in Brazil, the world’s largest plant protection products market. Going forward, the Company will make unabated efforts to further strengthen its global capabilities of research and development so that it can create new active ingredients for plant protection chemicals continually and even more rapidly.

Concepts

1. Centralizing synthesis research functions to accelerate research and development
   Synthesis research functions of plant protection chemical exploratory research and production process studies that have been located in separate locations will be integrated to make product development faster and more efficient.
2. Enhancing a creative research environment to produce unique innovative products
   In order to stimulate active communication and promote information sharing among researchers, multi-purpose space and lounges will be provided to create an environment that will be conducive to producing unique innovative products.
3. Providing state-of-the-art facilities central to day-to-day activities of research laboratory
   Concentrated in the center of the laboratory premises will be reception functions and multi-purpose meeting space. The new building will be of quake-absorbing structure and equipped with adequate emergency facilities as well as being designed to function as a command center in case of a large-scale disaster.
4. Caring for the environment
   The building will be designed with thorough consideration given to the surrounding environment and energy-savings.

Overview of the new synthesis research building

Location	2-1, Takatsukasa 4-chome, Takarazuka City, Hyogo, Japan
Scale	Six floors above ground
Total floor area	Approx. 10,000 m2
Start of operation	June 2018

Contact

Corporate Communications Dept.
27-1, Shinkawa 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8260, Japan
TEL: +81-3-5543-5102 FAX: +81-3-5543-5901