Japan
Toray Industries, Inc. (Toray)
Advanced Composite Processing Technology Receives Ecolog Nikkei BP Technology Awards 2008 (04/04/2008)

Mr. Kitano receiving the testimonial
(Below: Prof. Dr. Yamanaka, the winner
of the Grand Prize)

Toray’s innovative high-speed processing technology for carbon fiber reinforced plastic, which was jointly developed by Composite Materials Research Laboratories and Advanced Composites Development Center as one of NEDO** Projects, received the Ecolog Nikkei BP Technology Awards 2008 presented by Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. (Nikkei BP).

The award was created in order to contribute to the technological developments in Japan and it highlights excellent technologies that have a major impact on industry and society.

The award-winning technology makes it possible to reduce processing time to one tenth of that under existing methods, for everything from infusing materials into automobile parts moldings to the removal of the completed parts.

The award presentation, which took place on April 4, was attended by Mr. K. Abe, Vice President and General Manager of Research & Development Division, Mr. Y. Suga, General Manager on Special Assignment, Manufacturing Division, Mr. A. Kitano, General Manager of Composite Materials Research Laboratories, and others. The Grand Prize went to Yamanaka Lab, led by Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University, for their “Establishment of Human iPS Cells” (induced human pluripotent stem cells).

(By Yoshio Matsuda, Research & Development Planning Dept.)

**NEDO: The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization