A new joint venture between major Japanese chemical company Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. and Japanese chemicals manufacturer Zeon Corporation that consolidates that two companies’ solution styrene-butadiene rubber (S-SBR) business units will begin its operations on April 3, 2017.
The two companies have already obtained all the needed regulatory approvals and clearances on the business consolidation both in Japan and overseas.
The joint venture, ZS Elastomers Co., Ltd. (ZSE), takes over the sales and R&D functions of Zeon and Sumitomo Chemical relating to the S-SBR business as agreed on. Outside Japan, ZSE is also to handle products manufactured by each company’s relevant subsidiaries in Singapore.
ZSE will work to expand the S-SBR business by maximising multifaceted synergy effects that are expected to come about from new product development driven by fusion of respective company’s technologies, bolstered cost competitiveness, an enhanced stable supply of products, et cetera. The new joint venture will focus on the research and development (R&D) as well as sales of S-SBR.