Expansion of Production Facilities for Optical-Use Poval Film

 Kuraray Co., Ltd. (President: Hitoshi Kawahara; Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) hereby announces its decision to expand production facilities for optical-use poval film, a base material for polarizing films used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), at its Saijo Plant located in Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

• The LCD market is expected to continue expanding in terms of panel size, driven by the trend toward larger television screens.
• In response to this market environment, demand for wider optical-use poval film, which serves as the base for polarizing films—key components of LCDs—is on the rise. Kuraray has determined to expand production facilities to ensure stable supply to the market.
• The new production line to be added will be capable of producing wider optical-use poval film, including compatibility with 3-meter-wide polarizing films.
• As a leading company in optical-use poval film, Kuraray will continue to strengthen its stable supply system and focus on developing new products and improving quality to meet the increasingly diverse needs of its customers.

Location: Kuraray Co., Ltd., Saijo Plant, 892 Tsuitachi, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan

Production Capacity: 38 million square meters per year

Start of Operations: Scheduled for December 2027

With this expansion, the current annual production capacity of 296 million square meters will increase to 334 million square meters.

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 Kuraray is implementing its 5-year Medium-Term Management Plan, “PASSION 2026”, leading up to its 100th anniversary in 2026. And to realize Kuraray Vision 2026 (Long-Term Vision, to become a specialty chemical company that contributing to customers, society, and the planet and growing sustainably by incorporating new foundational platforms into its own technologies), Kuraray will continue to invest in growth.