July 1, 2021
Name of company: Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd. Representative: Yuichiro Wakatsuki
Representative Executive Officer & Co-President
Wee Siew Kim
Representative Executive Officer & Co-President Contact: Yukiko Yamamoto
General Manager of Public Relations
Email: nphd-kouho@nipponpaint.jp

Nippon Paint Group to Launch Film Business in the Automotive Coatings Operations:
 Facing Toward the next Generation Automotive Industry and a Carbon-Free Society

Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) announces that Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings Co., Ltd. (NPAC), a Nippon Paint Group company engaged in the automotive coatings business, will make a full-scale entry into the film business. NPAC has been working on the development of coating technology for films (“decorative films”) as a new business field since 2015 to meet the needs of customers in the next generation automotive industry.

As the shift to next-generation automobiles progresses in the automotive industry,  the role of the automobile itself is changing, such as the increasing adoption of digital cockpit display for driver’s seat and a greater focus on providing more comfortable, spacious, and well-equipped interior.  In addition, automobile parts have undergone major changes due to the introduction of electrification and advanced safety technology, such as the elimination of the front grille in some vehicles and the replacement of panels with built-in sensors and cameras. Moreover, the automotive industry is required to take further measures to reduce the environmental burden.

The decorative films for automobile interiors being developed by NPAC provide a protection of electronic devices and displays such as Center Information Display, and besides of anti-glare screen protection, it is also possible to add a function such as antiviral, which is in high demand in the COVID-19 pandemic.  The decorative films also make the application of flexible designs possible which could not be achieved with paint.  Furthermore, as the amount of CO2 emitted in the application process is expected to be reduced, the need for decorative films is anticipated to increase further toward the realization of a carbon-free society.

NPAC has been developing decorative films for solar cells through a joint project with Toyota Motor Corporation, and considers to proceed the development of decorative films for exteriors that are multifunctional as well as automobile interior parts. NPAC is also exploring the potential of using decorative films to non-automotive applications. In addition to the film coating agents the company have provided so far, NPAC plans to sell the coated film itself from 2022.

With the full-scale entry into the film business, NPAC is accelerating the development of decorative films, and is also considering developing into areas other than automobiles and expanding the film business globally.  Through the new film business in addition to the existing paint business, NPAC will provide high-quality products that meet the needs of its customers and practices management that takes ESG and SDGs into consideration.

【Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings Co., Ltd.】
・Head Office: Hirakata-shi, Osaka
・President & COO Representative Director: Shoichi Mure
・Corporate website: https://www.nipponpaint-automotive.com/en/

 

The Nippon Paint Group turns 140 years old Founded in 1881, as a comprehensive paint manufacturer which boasts the longest history of any paint manufacturer in Japan, we are celebrating our 140th anniversary. In accordance with the corporate philosophy that has been carried down since the company’s founding, we confront social issues, including developing an anti-virus paint, and are carrying out research and development of paint and coating technologies.