Focusing on environmental change due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, including issues for which earlier actions have become necessary and issues which have newly arisen, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has held the “Chemical Vision Study Group”, which is comprised of executives of chemical companies, etc., in order to identify the chemical industry’s future direction from the perspective of actions to be taken for earthquake disaster. In response to the emergent situation, we would like to announce the actions to be urgently taken for the chemical industry.

Taking into account environmental change due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, including issues for which earlier actions become necessary and issues which newly arise, we have summarized the actions that should be urgently taken for the chemical industry.
These actions, as well as the actions proposed in the report that was summarized by the Chemical Vision Study Group in April last year, seek to strengthen the competitiveness of the chemical industry.

(1) Strengthening of competitiveness of supply chain for materials and components

• To identify the chemical industry's future direction to obtain overwhelming competitiveness, through selection and concentration by joint efforts of the public and private sectors
• To strengthen the competitiveness through cooperation, etc. with user companies

(2) Development of environment for enhancement of disaster-response capability

• To develop the environment to secure supplies in case of emergency, including the way to obtain alternate production
• To take flexible actions such as selection of raw materials in cooperation with users
• To review the number of grades through prioritizing the high value added fields

(3) Actions for concern about hollowing out of domestic industry

• To steadily promote the development of the domestic business environment
• To take actions to increase efficiency through cooperation among business establishments
• To take actions to increase efficiency through production innovation
• To take actions to prevent technology leakage

(4) Transformation of the social structure through reconstruction by effectively using innovative chemical technology

• To accelerate the recovery of the affected areas as research and development centers
• To accelerate the non-cumulative research and development activities that facilitate innovation of the social structure, by effectively using technologies in which Japan has its advantages, such as catalyst technology

The Chemical Vision Study Group has been established in order to discuss the chemical industry's future direction, in response to the change in its environment, such as the worldwide transformation of the global demand structure in chemical industries, the increase in petrochemical plants in the Middle East and China and the need to address global environmental problems. The study group is comprised of company executives and experts, etc., had discussed the issues for five months from November 2009 and summarized the report in June 2010.

• Report by the Chemical Vision Study Group (April 30, 2010)

• Outline of the "Emergent Actions" by the Chemical Vision Study Group (PDF:276KB)
• "Emergent Actions" by the Chemical Vision Study Group (PDF:101KB)

June 21, 2011

Chemicals Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau