Social Contribution Activities (Special topics before 2022)

Principal Initiatives

CUD: The Future of Color and Comfort

The DIC Group is actively involved in R&D in the area of color universal design (CUD) as well as in expanding public awareness and understanding of CUD’s importance.

2007–2010

Japan Paint Manufacturers Association, the Industrial Research Institute of Ishikawa and the Color Universal Design Organization embarked on a project to create the Color Universal Design–Recommended Color Set. Thanks to repeated verification tests, the organizations realized a set of colors that are relatively easy to distinguish regardless of ability to see colors and can be reproduced using printing inks, coatings and digital imaging, and embarked on efforts to encourage recognition and use.

2011–2014

The DIC Group and architect Kengo Kuma collaborated to develop new tactile paving that ensures high visibility for visually impaired individuals and is in harmony with the landscape. Subsequently, in spring 2018, two new color options—a warm orangey yellow and a cool yellowish green— were commercialized under the name Lucida®, which have since been adopted for use in numerous buildings and stations.

2015–2017

The DIC Group participated in a joint industry–academic research project, as part of which Chiba University, the Central Research Laboratories and DIC Color Design, Inc., gave presentations at academic conferences around the world on joint research in the color appearance of red spot colors used for printed warnings and other important information on packaging and on the use of color in printed materials to enhance readability for seniors.

2018

Taking into account nearly a decade of use, the participants in the original project to create the Color Universal Design–Recommended Color Set revised the set’s color values to further enhance usability. The organizations also cooperated to publish a guidebook on effective use of the set and have since worked to promote understanding and awareness.
In 2018, the Japan Industrial Standards (JIS) announced a groundbreaking new standard for safety colors that can be distinguished by people with diverse types of color vision (JIS Z 9103). As a member of the original drafting committee, the DIC Group was involved in setting recommended CMYK values for process printing and also cooperated in subsequent activities aimed at advancing awareness.

2019–2021

DIC began participating as an expert in the field of color in the verification of safety-related color schemes for applications such as disaster prevention information. In this capacity, the DIC Group took part in verification testing for the setting of RGB values for screen displays for a color scheme (five colors) developed to convey heavy rain warning levels in an easy-tounderstand manner, which was announced in 2020 by Japan’s Cabinet Office. In formulating CMYK values for the same color scheme, announced in 2021, DIC Graphics cooperated by not only verifying candidate colors but also printing a color chart for use in the verification process.

March–April 2022

In March and April 2022, the DIC Group published a two-part feature on its efforts to contribute to society through color in the Japanese-language space of its global website. Since then, the Group has continued working to provide stakeholders with information on its initiatives to make society more accessible to people with diverse types of color vision, as well as to introduce key difference makers from both within and outside the Group.

March 2023

DIC Color Design held a webinar on the value and purpose of CUD and how it can be used to promote activities in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Taking into account the challenges associated with color use and design in a diverse society, the DIC Group leveraged its expertise in CUD, as well as related technologies, to people involved in the production of goods and information to ensure that color and CUD fulfill their potential to contribute to the realization of the SDGs.

Visiting Science Lab Program

In line with the Japanese government’s efforts to further career education initiatives, DIC conducts visiting science labs at public elementary schools. Based on the theme of “Color & Comfort,” this program, which highlights how science can help secure a brighter future for humanity and the planet, comprises experiments that involve observing the mechanism of color printing, extracting natural pigments from algae and dissolving recyclable adhesives.

Initiatives Led by the Central Research Laboratories

The Central Research Laboratories provides support for education through a variety of initiatives. These include assisting with the Annual Meeting on Scientific Research by High Schools, which is sponsored by Chiba University’s Section of Collaboration with High Schools and features research presentations from across Japan. In fiscal year 2022, five researchers attended this event, listening to a total of 493 presentations, taking part in Q&A sessions and otherwise encouraging research by participating high school students, who aspire to careers in the sciences.
The Central Research Laboratories also advances efforts that leverage DIC’s unique capabilities. These include lectures for high schools that have earned Super Science High School* designation, including Seishin Gakuen High School in Ibaraki Prefecture, and Sakura Senior High School and Funabashi High School in Chiba Prefecture, as well as fashion design workshops for students from Sakura Higashi High School in Chiba Prefecture.

• “Super Science High School” is a designation awarded by Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to high schools that implement curricula focused on the sciences and mathematics that goes beyond the Ministry’s official guidelines with the aim of fostering the next generation of talented engineers and scientists.

Highlights of Fiscal Year 2022

• Educational support activities in fiscal year 2022 included holding workshops at Sakura Higashi High School and Super Science High School lectures at Seishin Gakuen High School, among others. The Central Research Laboratories also continued to assist Super Science High School–designated schools through participation by executive-level employees in the steering committees of Sakura Senior High School and Funabashi High School.
• Other initiatives in fiscal year 2022 included once again hosting the Chiba Prefectural Dream Challenge Hands-On School, a popular program for elementary school children organized by the prefecture’s Board of Education. The Central Research Laboratories also participated in the “Now I Get It! Technologies of the Future” exhibition, held to coincide with schools’ summer vacation with the aim of nurturing children’s curiosity about science and technology and encouraging the next generation’s interest in work in the manufacturing sector.

Initiatives Led by the Kashima Plant

The Kashima Plant, in Ibaraki Prefecture, has accepted trainees in cooperation with Ibaraki Hasaki High School’s internship program— dubbed the Hako Duel System—since 2008. In fiscal year 2022, three students from the school’s industrial chemistry and information sciences programs participated in lectures on product knowledge, safety and compliance, and in practical training at the plant, over a period of three months.

Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art

The Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art, located adjacent to the Central Research Laboratories in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture, was established in 1990 to publicly exhibit works of art collected by DIC Corporation and its affiliates. The museum’s extensive collection spans numerous genres, encompassing an oil portrait by Rembrandt, a rarity in Japan, as well as works by impressionists such as Monet and Renoir; modern European artists such as Picasso and Chagall; early modern, modern and postwar Japanese artists; and luminaries of late-20th century American art, including Mark Rothko, Cy Twombly and Frank Stella. In addition to a standing exhibit from its permanent collection, the museum stages special exhibitions multiple times a year to encourage a deeper understanding of the works in its collection.
Another appealing aspect of the museum is its location on a lushly forested 10-hectare site alive with seasonal flowers and foliage that has been open to the public since the museum’s establishment. A total of 250 cherry trees—10 varieties in total—blossom every spring while in summer wildflowers of all colors bloom profusely.
In fiscal year 2023, the museum is celebrating its 34th anniversary. Two special exhibitions are being held. “Rendez-vous dans le Midi” focuses on the south of France as a place where art flourished in the 20th century, exhibiting approximately 150 works by around 30 artists from museum and other collections in Japan through which it highlights the extensive interaction among artists active in the region, as well as the forms of expression and artistic techniques that evolved. “Josef Albers: Pedagogical Experiments” will introduce works by the painter, designer and art professor, who was active in Germany and the United States. This will be the first retrospective of Albers’ works held in Japan.
Many museum programs, including regularly scheduled guided tours, the “mite!” (“look!”) online interactive art-viewing experience, art appreciation tours for students and other educational support activities, and group museum visits were curtailed over the past three years due to COVID-19. The museum is promoting the gradual resumption of these and other activities, making adjustments as necessary to prevent the spread of infection, with the ultimate goal of restoring these initiatives to pre-pandemic levels.
Looking ahead, the museum will continue to plan and stage exhibitions centered around works from its collection. The museum will also advance social contribution activities and enhance its digital presence with a view to encouraging communication with the community.

Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art

Outdoor terrace

Museum entrance hall

Social Contribution Activities at DIC Group Companies in Other Countries and Territories

Social Contribution Activities at DIC Group Companies in Other Countries and Territories

Sun Chemical Colombia S.A.S. launched a zero-waste project to drastically reduce the volume of waste generated by its production activities in a bid to lower its impact on the environment. A bottomup initiative, this project was inspired by suggestions put forth by site employees, including to reuse containers and logistics materials deployed in production processes, rigorously separate and recycle waste, and prevent the discharge of hazardous substances by adopting sealed lids for the storage of volatile solvents. The DIC Group will continue to espouse a corporate culture that encourages each and every employee to take on new challenges, thereby helping secure a brighter future for humanity and the planet.

Supporting Humanitarian Assistance for Ukrainian Refugees

DIC has donated approximately $300,000 to help provide humanitarian assistance for refugees from the current crisis in Ukraine. In addition to a donation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)—the UN Refugee Agency— the Company set up a joint fund with Sun Chemical, with both companies contributing approximately €100,000. This fund forwards donations to various nonprofit organizations for the provision of assistance and relief, including housing and gifts for children, to employees of the DIC Group and customer companies, as well as to refugees who have fled the country.

Matching Gift Program

DIC has a matching gift program in Japan whereby it matches the total amount collected through an annual year-end fundraising drive spearheaded by its employees’ union. Funds raised through the 2022 drive and matching gift program were donated to 19 children’s homes and facilities providing support for disabled individuals.

Contributing to Efforts to Address COVID-19

In light of a critical shortage of masks at healthcare facilities in Japan as a result of the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Japan, DIC contributed 10,000 high-performance masks from its stockpile to such facilities, comprising 5,000 N95 masks, which were donated through the Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which distributed the masks to prefectures, and 5,000 ostrich antibody masks*, which were donated to healthcare facilities suffering particularly desperate shortages. DIC also provided approximately 7,000 bottles of Linagreen® 21 Extract K1, a nutritional drink manufactured by a DIC Group company, to support the health of frontline medical professionals working to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and treat patients with the disease. This easy-to-consume drink is made by combining Spirulina extract, which is derived from the edible blue-green algae using proprietary technology, with propolis, ginseng and echinacea extract, and fortifying the mixture with water-soluble vitamins. To curtail the transmission of COVID-19, DIC leveraged proprietary DIC Group technologies to manufacture face shields, 1,000 of which it supplied to healthcare facilities in Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki and Osaka prefectures, where it has production facilities. Going forward, DIC will continue to provide support for efforts to contain COVID-19 as well as its regular social contribution initiatives with the goal of ensuring that DIC remains a company that is loved and respected worldwide.

• Ostrich antibody masks are nonwoven masks that use filters that have been impregnated with antibodies from ostriches, which are highly resistant to viral infections. The ostrich antibodies bind to and neutralize viruses that come into contact with the masks, as a result of which they are significantly more effective than ordinary masks in protecting wearers against viruses.

Capitalizing on Business Opportunities Yielded by Recycling Initiatives

In addition to manufacturing and selling a broad range of molded plastic products in line with its ultimate objective, which is to protect lives, Group company DIC Plastics, Inc., in Japan, is an active proponent of environment-friendly business practices, particularly material recycling*1. Among the company’s noteworthy achievements is its development of a system for sorting waste plastic generated during the manufacture of original products by type and color, which greatly assists with recovery. This has enabled the company to diversify its lineup of products made with recycled plastics, increasing the volume of such materials it uses and adding value to the products in which they are used.
DIC Plastics also promotes recycling by purchasing recycled plastics from reclaimers, which it uses in the manufacture of its mainstay plastic helmets and other products.
One of the most recent additions to DIC Plastics’ product portfolio is the IZANO professional helmet for disaster situations. In addition to offering superb safety, the IZANO helmet can be folded to approximately 60% of its full size. These features, plus the extensive range of colors available, earned IZANO an award in the 2014 Good Design Awards*2, sponsored by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion.

Products made from recycled plastic bottle caps

• Material recycling involves the recycling of material from an original application but in a different form.
• Operated by the Japan Institute of Design PromotColor Universal Design in interiors and signs in a sports clubion, the Good Design Awards is a commendation program that annually recognizes products that represent superb achievements in design.

Highlights of Social Contribution Activities
Color Universal Design in interiors and signs in a sports club

Based on the management vision: “Color & Comfort by Chemistry,” Ethe DIC Group takes initiatives in Color Universal Design (UD). DIC Color Design Inc. provided color supervision upon the redesigning of the “Sports Club Renaissance, Makuhari,” which is the original branch of RENAISSANCE INC. that runs sports clubs throughout Japan. DIC Color Design Inc. utilized the color investigation that was conducted in existing branches prior to the redesigning from the perspective of UD. You can see innovations in colors in the interior and signs, etc. that enable the Renaissance facility users to enjoy sports with a sense of security. Considerations for colors are given in a number of places, including steps in stairs and rails using colors that are

Exterior of Renaissance, Makuhar

Passage within the facility

COMMENT

Facility development with the aim of achieving security and safety of users

The Makuhari branch is the first branch of Renaissance and is a facility that we have special feeling toward this branch. Upon the redesigning, we strived for a facility that can be a model case in all perspectives, such as contributions to society and environmental considerations, etc., in addition to enhancing equipment and items. Especially, the Makuhari branch is rooted in the community, and many elderly people also utilize our facility. Through this effort, we have learned that there were actually people who would have difficulties with the colors that we would otherwise have not paid attention to. In addition, we have truly learned the importance of not only producing a unified image in color design but also using color schemes that correctly communicate necessary information by considering the functionality of the facility and safety of users. We hope to widely spread this experience in the company and utilize it in the future facility development.

RENAISSANCE INC. Facility Development Department Ms. Itsuwa Hosaka

Spirulina: Promoting Harmony With Society

The DIC Group is the world’s largest supplier of Spirulina, a cyanobacteria rich in more than 50 nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids. In line with a support agreement concluded in 2009 with the Alliance Forum Foundation (AFF), a Japan-based NPO, the Group provides assistance to the Spirulina Project, an AFF initiative that seeks to alleviate hunger and improve nutrition in the Republic of Zambia.
In June 2012, with the purpose of contributing to the well-being of the people of Zambia, we implemented a project to assess the impact of Spirulina on human health. This project verifed a reduced incidence of malnutrition among children who regularly consumed Spirulina. Encouraged by these findings, the DIC Group and the AFF conducted production and technological feasibility studies in Zambia with the aim of facilitating local cultivation of Spirulina for local consumption, and in 2014 commenced pilot production. In fscal year 2015, the DIC Group and the AFF will again conduct tests to measure the effectiveness of Spirulina, expanding the scope of testing to several hundred individuals. DIC support it by the donation of bulk powdered Spirulina. Currently, the Group also provides production and technological support through assistance with selecting locations for cultivation and providing information on raw materials.
The DIC Group is also engaged in a variety of other initiatives designed to promote the nutritional value of Spirulina. In fscal year 2014, these included a nutritional education program for private elementary schools in Tokyo’s Itabashi Ward.

Children in Zambia having lunch

Highlights of Social Contribution Activities
Initiatives Toward Color Coordination that is Harmonious with Landscape

Development and Evaluation of New Tactile Paving Aimed at Low-vision People The DIC Group promotes the development of colors and color combinations that can be recognized equally by as many people as possible.
Tactile pavement that indicate safe walking paths are considered ideal to have a clear contrast with the road by using highly visible yellow color. However, urban landscape designers often feel the color too vivid that does not harmonize with the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is required to develop guide blocks that simultaneously fulfill safety and aesthetical requirements.
Associate Professor Kei Ito of the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences at the University of Tokyo has been attempting to use two different colors for guide blocks as a countermeasure to this issue. By using low intensity color for the base part and pale yellow for the protrusions, the new blocks would not violate the landscape while securing both visibility and sign property For the project, DIC Color Design proposed color schemes that simultaneously achieve functionality and harmony with surrounding environments and cooperated in color selections for the prototype samples. We have been repeating evaluation experiments by trial subjects and promoting the project for practical usage.

Braille Guide Blocks

Career Education Activities

In recent years, the educational field is strongly required to participate in corporate career education activities. DIC focuses on career education in a wide scope, including accepting interns from colleges of technology in plants throughout Japan, accepting workplace experience, practical training, and tours from nearby schools in the Chiba Plant, Hokuriku Plant, Kashima Plant, Komaki Plant, and Saitama Plant, etc. providing lab lessons in municipal elementary schools in the Itabashi Ward and Matsudo by Tokyo plant and headquarters, providing educational support classes to Chiba Prefectural Sakura High School and Sakurahigashi High School close to the DIC Central Research Laboratory, and visits by Chairman Sugie throughout Japan to give classes as part of Japan Association of Corporate Executives activities, etc. Children learn the significance of working and the fact that their studies lead to social lives by learning various ways of living and a sense of values by communicating with many different adults. DIC will continue to provide career education opportunities to children who will lead the future.

COMMENT

Promoting career education that arouses intellectual curiosity and inquisitive minds

The DIC Central Research Laboratory has raised educational support in the CSR policy and has also been supporting “Sakura Academia,” which is a cultural class that started in 2011 in our school. In this class, students visit laboratories to hear lectures by leading researchers with the aim of not only arousing students’ intellectual curiosity and inquisitive minds but also encouraging them to strive to realize themselves and have career awareness. In 2013, our school was specified as a super science school (SSH) by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology with the aim of developing human resources in the scientific technology field. Upon this, DIC dispatched an operational mentor as a representative of a local company. We are always deeply appreciative of DIC’s stance to proactively contribute to the local educational industry through the scientific technology field.

Chiba Prefectural Sakura High School Vice-Principal Mr. Kazuomi Koshiba

Proactively Supporting the Next Generation Development from Working Experience for Junior High School Students to Training Cooperation for Teachers

Each plant in the DIC Group holds opportunities that enable young people who will lead the next generation to experience working in order to acquire career or working views and proactively hosts internship students, etc. “Saitama Plant”（Ina City, Saitama）that manufactures UV paint, LC materials, and adhesive films, etc. cooperates with the “Social Experience Challenge”, which is planned by the board of education, and continually holds working experience opportunities for 7th and 8th grade students. In 2011, the plant held 4 opportunities and 12 junior high school students participated from the community. They commuted to the Saitama Plant for 3 days at a time and experienced light work, such as inspections of products, packaging, etc. They presented what they learned through work and exchanges with employees at school.
These efforts are also promoted in Chiba Plant and Komaki Plant （Aichi）are highly regarded by the local communities.

Local Junior High School Students Experiencing Work

COMMENT

Backup is Provided through Cooperation of Each Department with the Focus on Safety

Saitama Plant has been hosting working experience opportunities since approximately 10 years ago. First, we communicate safety cautions to children, and each department decides the work contents in cooperation with each other. Seeing papers with honest opinions, such as “I’ve learned the difficulty of the society” and “I’ve experienced the importance of people’s considerations as well as organization”, etc. after the experience and hearing voices of different departments, such as “Thanks to them, we’ve made a good progress in work”, etc., make us happy. In 2011, teachers also cooperated with the training to learn local industries and accepted plant tours. I think it is very beneficial for others to learn the technologies and manufacturing of DIC through such opportunities.

Saitama Plant General Affairs Group Chiharu Nakanishi

Support for Persons with Intellectual Handicaps

“Huiling” is an NGO that was established in 1990 by a Chinese national and supports persons with intellectual handicaps. It promotes its activities in 8 locations in China. DIC Co., Ltd. （Guangzhou）observed various activities of Huiling Guangzhou, deepened the understanding, and supported the philosophy. The company has appealed for donations from both employees and the company.
In addition, 86 employees/family members participated in the charity jogging, which was held in the “Oriental Resort Guangzhou” in Báiyún area, Guangzhou, and held social exchanges with persons with intellectual handicaps in May,2011.

Charity Jogging Held in Guangzhou

Support for Disaster-Hit Areas

DIC currently donates funds to assist reconstruction in areas devastated by the April 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake though participation in the IPPO IPPO NIPPON project, an initiative organized for this purpose Earthquake by Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives).

Mangrove Plantation Project

DIC（Malaysia）Sdn. Bhd. approved of the mangrove plantation project in the Telok Gong, Pelabuhan Klang, Selangor, Malaysia held by the Red Crescent Selangor on May 8, 2011, and donated money to fund the activity and joined the project.
The purpose of the project is to reduce environmental destruction by showing the way how to solve environmental problems to the local community as well as the participants through the activity of mangrove plantation. Ten employees of DIC took part as volunteers on the day and planted mangrove seedlings under the instruction of experts.

Mangrove Plantation Project

Initiatives Aimed at Areas around Our Plants

As part of its Responsible Care activities, the Japan Chemical Industry Association's RC Committee has organized town hall meetings across the country to strengthen communication with people locally.
In February 2011, The DIC Komaki plant organized the 5th Responsible Care Aichi Regional Town Hall Meeting at the Komaki Kinro Center, where it presented its Responsible Care initiatives to local citizens. Its presentations covered mainly safety （passing on techniques through K-SHOW）^*2 and eco-friendly products, also providing reports on matters such as energy conservation, industrial waste reduction, and local support activities（Oyamagawa cleanup）. The DIC Komaki plant focused especially on discussion of its production and development of environmentally conscious products such as lightweight PPS for cars, low-VOC-emission printing ink, and decorative sheets for de-plating products*^*1. The plant also talked about the various problems it has related to the environment. After the meeting, the plant made time to answer questions from local citizens and strengthen mutual understanding.

• Passing on technique through K-SHOW: passing on techniques through training, using video to explain.

Initiatives Aimed at Areas around Our Plants