Japan’s leading diversified materials manufacturer, Nitto Denko Corporation, today announced that it has launched Nitto Denko Europe Technical Centre Sarl (NET), a new innovation facility in Switzerland. NET is expected to underpin Nitto Denko’s global corporate R&D setup along with the existing key sites in Japan, the U.S. and Singapore.

Situated at the Innovation Square of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the second-highest ranking Swiss University in Thomson Reuters' World University Rankings in 2011-12 which employ performance indicators including research volume, income and reputation, NET will take full advantage of EPFL’s peripheral network and rich talent pool in its European-oriented innovation in environmental and life science fields.

Back in 2005, Nitto Denko launched the Europe R&D Committee (ERC) at its Belgium-based subsidiary Nitto Europe. ERC has mainly pursued technology marketing in Europe and become capable of conducting various R&D projects, over the course of past seven years. From a committee tied to Nitto Europe, ERC is now turning into a separate institute and this is a milestone in Nitto Denko’s pursuit of the ideal corporate R&D setup.

NET is expected to explore possibilities and create opportunities in the environmental and life science domains, especially by leveraging bio-based materials. Such efforts may potentially take the form of a three-to-six-year long mid-term R&D project. Also in line with Nitto Denko’s ongoing Area Niche Top® strategy, the strategy for achieving the identified niche within specific markets on a regional-basis across the globe, NET is expected to accelerate development of Area Niche Top® products in Europe.

・Company name: Nitto Denko Europe Technical Centre Sarl.
・Business scope: Environmental and life science-related materials research & development
・Location: The Innovation Square of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland
・Total site area: 440 square meters
・Employee headcount: Initially five (expected to quadruple in five years)
・Capital: Swiss franc(CHF) 1,800,000 (Approximately 0.14 billion yen)
・Date of establishment: July 2012 (Operation will start in October 2012)

Located in Lausanne, Switzerland, EPFL is among the World’s most cosmopolitan technical universities. It attracts the “cream of the crop” students and has world-leading professors and staff representing over 120 nationalities. It is also one of most innovative and productive technology institutes in the world, with more than 250 laboratories and research groups on campus bringing together more than 10,000 people. The unique structure of the university promotes the cutting-edge R&D activities and encourages creative industry-academia partnerships.
The university is the second highest-ranking Swiss university and also among the top-nine European universities in Thomson Reuters' World University Rankings 2011-12'. EPFL has also been ranked top-three in Europe and top 20 worldwide in many other scientific rankings. Please refer to www.epfl.ch for more details.

• World University Rankings 2011-12