Environmental solutions

Japan: bioplastics production increases due to government support

https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/column/16/031700078/092600020/ Bioplastics, which are made from renewable resources and are biodegradable, have been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years. With the Japanese government’s promotion of bioplastics, companies are increasing production of existing products and developing new ones. The challenges are to further reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing and use, and to improve functionality in […]

BioPhenolics Co. aims at mass production of dozens of aromatic chemicals using “smart cells”

https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/column/16/021500017/090500297/ https://bio-phenolics.com/?page_id=68 BioPhenolics is a startup from the University of Tsukuba that is conducting research and development of technology to produce aromatic hydrocarbon chemicals with benzene rings using improved microorganisms (“smart cells”). Currently, BioPhenolics has a pipeline of more than 10 chemical products that it is independently researching and developing, and when combined with the […]

Japan’s NEDO goes for carbon-neutral ammonia-combusting industrial furnaces

https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101678. As part of the Green Innovation Fund Project, NEDO will launch the “Decarbonization of Thermal Processes in the Manufacturing Sector” project (total budget: 30.41 billion yen) with the aim of achieving “carbon neutrality by 2050. The project will work on the establishment of combustion technologies required for carbon-neutral industrial furnaces, and technologies for reducing […]

Japan demonstrates battery controller for solar roads

https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101674.html Under NEDO’s “Technology Research and Development Project for Discovery and Commercialization of New Energy and Other Seeds”, MIRAI-LABO Co., Ltd. has developed the “Solar Mobiway,” a solar power generation panel that can be laid on the road surface, and EV Repurpose, which reuses batteries discharged from used electric vehicles (EVs). The Autonomous Intelligent Road […]

JGC and Bacchus Co to cooperate on green chemicals from biofoundries

https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/news/p1/23/07/08/10893/ JGC Holdings (HD), which focuses on engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of plants, and Bacchus BioInnovation (Kobe, President Mikio Tanji), a Kobe University startup, announced that they will collaborate in the biofoundry business, which produces useful substances using microbes and other materials. Bacchus, of which Professor Akihiko Kondo of Kobe University’s Graduate School serves […]

Spraying of yeast esterase accelerates degradation of biodegradable mulch films

https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/news/p1/23/07/05/10885/ Biodegradable mulch film has been commercially available for about 20 years. Hiroko Kitamoto and her team from theNational Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences had discovered that Pseudozyma Antarctica which is ubiquitous on plant surfaces, break down biodegradable plastics by a secreted esterase PaE . This degrading enzyme, PaE, was known to degrade polybutylene succinate adipate […]

NEDO supports study on LCA of cellulose nanofiber materials CNF

https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101659.html NEDO supports five R&D themes for the “Study and Evaluation of Evaluation Methods for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Cellulose Nanofiber Materials” to accelerate the social implementation of cellulose nanofibers (CNF), and has begun full-scale implementation. The project aims to accelerate CNF-related businesses by visualizing the results of comparisons of CNF’s features, such as […]

Japanese consortium applies ammonia combustion to architectural glass production

https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101666.html As part of NEDO’s “Development of Fuel Ammonia Utilization and Production Technology”, AGC Corporation, Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, AIST, and Tohoku University have recently succeeded in the world’s first demonstration test of glass production using ammonia as fuel in an actual production reactor. In this demonstration, tests were conducted using a burner developed by […]

Regional Fish Co. and NTT cooperate on land-based aquaculture and sales of genome-edited fish and shellfish

https://bio.nikkeibp.co.jp/atcl/news/p1/23/06/27/10852/ Regional Fish and NTT announced the establishment of a joint venture company to produce and sell improved seafood on a commercial scale and to start operations on July 1, 2023. Regional Fish markets edible portion-enhanced red sea bream and high-growth tiger pufferfish as genome-edited foods, and has been collaborating with NTT on the breeding […]

NEDO starts wide program on quantum-AI hybrid technology

https://www.nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101665.html NEDO has begun development and demonstration of applications and libraries that can address issues that are difficult to solve with conventional technologies, utilizing “Quantum-AI Hybrid Technology” that combines quantum technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in the “Cyber-Physical Development Project for Quantum-AI Hybrid Technology. The focus is on “Materials Development,” “Manufacturing,” and “Logistics/Transportation”. The project […]

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