NGK Insulators Ltd (NGK) has announced the establishment of a Co-Creation Center and a Carbon Neutrality-Related Product Development Area at its head office site to align their business structure with comprehensive goals of carbon neutrality (CN) and digital society (DS). This strategic decision aims to expedite the business structure conversion and align with the NGK Group Vision, positioning the company as a key contributor to carbon neutrality and digital society.
NGK’s medium- to long-term vision, titled “NGK Group Vision: Road to 2050,” outlines its ambition to leverage unique ceramic technologies for the advancement of carbon neutrality and digital society. The company aims to boost CN- and DS-related sales to 50% by 2030 and an impressive 80% by 2050. To achieve this transformation, NGK will make substantial capital investments, totaling approximately ¥15.0 billion, including the construction of a new R&D building announced in November 2022.
At the Atsuta site, NGK plans to construct a groundbreaking Co-Creation Center designed to foster open innovation and add new value to society through ceramic technologies. The center will serve as a collaborative space, featuring areas that introduce NGK’s products and core technologies addressing societal issues. It will facilitate idea development with external partners, encouraging new meetings and networking opportunities. A distinctive feature of the Co-Creation Center is the installation of perovskite solar cells from EneCoat Technologies Co., Ltd., a company in which NGK has invested. This strategic choice aligns with NGK’s commitment to incorporating diverse technologies, knowledge, and expertise from internal and external sources. The Co-Creation Center aims to expedite the creation of innovative products and businesses efficiently.
Construction of the Co-Creation Center is scheduled for completion in May 2025, marking a significant milestone in NGK’s journey towards creating a collaborative ecosystem for accelerated innovation. The Co-Creation Center will incorporate spaces conducive to collaboration, including sections dedicated to showcasing NGK’s products and core technologies addressing societal challenges, zones for ideation with external partners, and areas facilitating networking opportunities for both internal and external stakeholders. Within the facility, NGK intends to integrate perovskite solar cells from EneCoat Technologies Co., Ltd., a company in which NGK has a vested interest. The installation will be accompanied by a demonstration to assess power generation performance. NGK is committed to driving co-creation by amalgamating diverse technologies, knowledge, and expertise from both internal and external sources, with the goal of expeditiously and efficiently generating new products and business solutions. The construction timeline aims for completion in May 2025.
Adjacent to the Co-Creation Center, NGK is concurrently constructing a new R&D building at the Atsuta site. This facility will focus on the development of new DS-related products, with operations set to commence in June 2025. The proximity of the R&D building to the Co-Creation Center will facilitate the seamless transition of ideas into practical product development. The iterative cycle of idea evaluation, testing, and refinement is expected to generate synergies, paving the way for the rapid creation of new products. Simultaneously, NGK will reorganize part of its Mizuho site to accommodate a dedicated area for the development and prototyping of new CN-related products. The company is actively engaged in developing ceramic substrates for Direct Air Capture (DAC), a process that directly captures atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Leveraging its ceramic honeycomb structure technology, NGK aims to efficiently perform adsorption and desorption of CO2. The Mizuho site, operational since November 2023, focuses on the development of DAC substrates. NGK plans to transform a section of its existing facility dedicated to ceramic product development for emission control into a zone focused on prototyping and developing new Carbon Neutrality (CN)-related products.
The company is actively engaged in the development of ceramic substrates for Direct Air Capture (DAC), a technology designed to directly capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. The DAC substrate’s performance requirements share commonalities with ceramics used for emission control. Leveraging its expertise in ceramic honeycomb structures, NGK is working on a substrate capable of efficiently adsorbing and desorbing CO2. Simultaneously, NGK is exploring techniques to coat (impregnate) CO2 adsorption materials onto the DAC ceramic substrate. The DAC area commenced operations in November 2023, and NGK plans to reinforce its development framework, aiming for participation in demonstration testing by 2025 and the establishment of a mass production system by 2030.
NGK will also establish a new development area (separation membrane area) dedicated to sub-nano ceramic membranes in June 2025, . These membranes play a crucial role in technologies like Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS). NGK will actively pursue the development of CN-related products in this area. NGK’s strategic expansion signifies a bold step towards aligning corporate initiatives with global sustainability goals. The Co-Creation Center and dedicated development areas underscore NGK’s commitment to innovation, collaborative partnerships, and a sustainable future, positioning the company as a frontrunner in the pursuit of carbon neutrality and digital society.
