Message from the President

Since our establishment in 1944 as an industrial company that uses advanced chlorine technology, we have continued to develop, produce, and sell products useful to society with our proprietary technology. Although we have been impacted by various changes in the business environment over this time, together with our stakeholders, we have responded in a timely manner and fortified our management.
As the COVID-19 pandemic shows signs of subsiding, the global economy still continues to face difficult conditions, including soaring prices for raw materials and fuel and difficulties in procurement due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Under these circumstances, the Kureha Group promoted the Kureha's Challenge 2022 (the final stage of Kureha's Challenge extension plan), which ended in fiscal 2022, to sow new seeds for the future vision of the Kureha Group and address various issues that arise in the process.
As a result, we were able to extend the competitiveness and profitability of high value-added products, especially our household products NEW Krewrap and KF polymer, and steadily strengthen our financial base. On the other hand, we continue to face challenges in R&D, technology development, human resource development, and digital transformation, which are necessary to continue creating new businesses.

Against this backdrop, the Kureha Group has launched the new mid- to long-term management plan, Toward Creating a New Future. In formulating this mid- to long-term management plan, I had discussions, mainly with management, about achieving our ideal state to a company, and asked the question, "What will the Kureha Group produce going forward?"
As a result of these discussions, we first revised the existing Corporate Philosophy as "Kureha Group Corporate Philosophy" and added the keywords "technologies" and "sustainable society" to reiterate what the Kureha Group values. We also defined the Kureha Vision as "A specialty solutions company that leverages proprietary technology and contributes to a new future for society."
The new mid- to long-term management plan has the following objectives in its management policy: continuous enhancement of economic value, contribution toward resolving social issues, and contribution toward reduced environmental impact. In order to achieve these objectives, we have the following priority measures: revive Kureha's technology-driven focus, strengthen the management base, and synergism between company and employees. These are the materiality, or material issues, in management.
Our management goals for 2030 include contributing to resolving social issues in our key business fields of environment and energy, life, and digital communications, reducing our environmental impact such as CO2 emissions, and improving employee engagement, in addition to expanding our business performance through product and technology development in those fields. It is imperative to our existence as a company that we generate revenue on an ongoing basis. However, we will not be able to survive unless we can also contribute to the creation of a sustainable society, as companies are meant to be useful to the earth and society. This line of thinking is the very essence of the Kureha Group's sustainability management.
Moreover, in 2023 the Kureha Group signed the United Nations Global Compact. We are committed to practicing the 10 principles related to human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption, and will contribute to the creation of a sustainable society through responsible corporate behavior.

As a technology-driven company, the Kureha Group will continue to make various changes and refine its technological capabilities, aiming to improve both its economic value and social value.
Your continuous understanding and support will be greatly appreciated.

October 2023

Yutaka Kobayashi

Yutaka Kobayashi
President & Chief Executive Officer