Research and Development
Shaping the Future with the Power of Science Message from the Kirin Group Research & Development Division
Kirin Group has steadily advanced its microbial fermentation technologies, such as yeast fermentation, since founding its beer business in 1907. Kyowa Hakko Kogyo, another main technical origin of Kirin group, has also refined its microbial fermentation technology through its antibiotic and amino acid fermentation businesses. In other words, our origin is microbiology, and our philosophy is "Reverence for Life”. Over time, our advanced biotechnologies emerged from classic fermentation technologies, giving birth to the pharmaceutical business. The third pillar of our business, health science, was created from our understanding of both classic fermentation technologies and advanced biotechnologies. In this way, the evolution of Kirin Group has always been the result of the scientific development. And today, we are a company comprised of three businesses: food, pharmaceuticals and health science.
We are proud of our history of creating such a variety of businesses, and now, under the vision of "A global leader in CSV, creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals", many research scientists and engineers including young talents and those with outstanding experience have come together. First of all, our advantage is high-level basic research. We aim to make new discoveries that are original and well-differentiated. Then, we also excel in applied technology to commercialize them. Furthermore, in recent years, we have been increasingly connecting with all kinds of internal value chains and external innovations to turn discoveries into businesses. In other words, our effort doesn’t end with research findings and technological advancements. Rather, we aim to utilize the findings and advancements for global society . This process encourages us as we realize our engagement with the world and our growth as human beings.
We, Kirin Group research scientists and engineers, as corporate scientists equipped with science as our advantage, continuously challenge and inspire one another to grow together in our daily endeavors. With unwavering determination and steadfast commitment, we will see through to the end the full delivery of the value to the world, even in the face of difficulties.
Senior Executive Officer
Vision of the Research and Development Division
Research and Development
The R&D division has helped expand Kirin’s businesses, which range from the Food & Beverages domain to the Pharmaceuticals domain. This growth is based on Kirin’s wisdom in raw material selection, processing, fermentation technology, and biotechnology development through beer production.
Today, to improve our business by broadly utilizing our technologies, Kirin Holdings' research institutes conducts basic and applied research in the Food & Beverages and Health Science domains . The R&D organizations of our business companies develop products and services based on technologies developed by the R&D Division. Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., plays a central role in R&D in pharmaceuticals.
The R&D division at Kirin aims to integrate basic and applied research, product and business development, production, marketing, and sales for smooth business operation. This integrated approach enables us to deliver our R&D findings to customers and society quickly. We will maximize our contribution to customers and society by jointly developing and implementing strategies across business, R&D, and intellectual property divisions. These divisions work together to meet the needs of customers and society.
Research and Development in the Food & Beverages Domain
Since its founding in 1907, Kirin has continuously grown and developed its alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage business for over a century. The R&D Division at Kirin Holdings conducts basic research and applied research with the goal of commercialization, while the research institutes of each business company and division leverage the technologies developed by the R&D Division to conduct research and development directly linked to business, such as product development.
Research and Development in the Health Science Domain
We have been conducting research on microorganisms and plants for decades by advancing the fermentation technology and biotechnology that we have cultivated in the beer business. As a result, we have successfully discovered and developed many materials that can address health issues.
Our goal is to develop functional products and services continuously. Institute of Health Sciences, which coordinates marketing and R&D strategies and works closely with the business operations, and the Kirin Central Research Institute, which focuses on mid-to-long-term strategies, act as two complementary driving forces working together toward this goal.
Research and Development in the Pharmaceuticals Domain
We began pharmaceutical research and development in the 1980s, combining biotechnology with the advancements made in our research on microorganisms and cells cultivated through beer production. Today, our research and development efforts are centered on Kyowa Kirin, which was founded in 2008 through the merger of Kirin Pharma and Kyowa Hakko Kogyo.
Furthermore, in order to provide value that is not limited to pharmaceuticals, we are leveraging our connection to the Kirin Group’s Health Science domain.
Intellectual Property Activities
We acquire and utilize intellectual property generated in the domains of Food & Beverages, Health Science, and Pharmaceuticals, because these property is considered one of our important business assets.
Kirin’s unique approach to intellectual property involves a dual strategy: seed-driven IP strategies (linked with R&D strategies) and needs-driven IP strategies (linked with business strategies). This approach enables us to align R&D with business operations. As a result, we can enhance our ability to create new value through intellectual property, ultimately benefiting the operation.