As a member of the Nisshinbo Group of environmental and energy companies, we are engaged in the research and development of products that give full consideration to the environment. We endeavor to use raw materials with low environmental impact, and we are already compliant with the restriction on the use of copper that will come into force in the United States in 2021. Such efforts have been highly appraised by our customers.
We operate development sites not only in Japan but also in South Korea, the United States and China, where friction materials suitable for the respective local requirements are being developed. We also respond to a wide variety of needs in each region through coordination among the development sites in the countries.
With the arrival of electric vehicles and fuel-cell vehicles, and with automatic braking and autonomous driving systems becoming increasingly practical, the world of automotive technology is changing rapidly day by day. In conjunction with these developments, the performance requirements of brakes also are undergoing a change. Imagining the automotive environment 20 years down the road, we are conducting research toward the realization of future technologies.
Nisshinbo Brake participates every year in the SAE Brake Colloquium & Exhibition, which brings together brake experts from all over the world, and regularly presents research results at this event. We also actively attend many other academic meetings and conferences so that the results of our technological efforts can contribute to the brake industry as a whole.