Nippon Shokubai Formulates New Medium-Term Management Plan (2004-06).

Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd. today announced the conclusion of the Company’s medium-term management plan for 2001-03, which represented the first part of its “Techno Amenity NV” long-term management plan spanning 2001-06. At the same time, the Company introduced its “New Medium-Term Management Plan” for 2004-06.

Main Objectives of the New Medium-Term Management Plan

The medium-term management plan for 2001-03 served its purpose of “building a foundation,” with the Company successfully achieving profit targets as well as a 5% ROA. The Company attributes this success mainly to the recovery of the EG, AA and AES markets; increased sales of super absorbent polymers; reductions in fixed costs; and steady implementation of scheduled measures for conventional products, which include the following:

• global development of SAP and AA businesses, particularly in Europe, the U.S.A. and China;
• exchanging the Company’s MMA business for Sumitomo Chemical’s AA business; and
• establishment of a joint venture with Mitsui Takeda Chemicals for unsaturated polyester resin.

However, since Nippon Shokubai’s current business is not completely stable due to a heavy dependency on super absorbent polymer products and acrylic products, the Company has incorporated the following two goals in its New Medium-Term Management Plan for 2004-06: accelerating the creation and expansion of new products to serve as the next core products on a scale larger than that adopted in the preceding three years; and determining the future direction of the Environment & Catalyst Business.

Outline of the New Medium-Term Management

[Orientation]
Nippon Shokubai will pursue the policy of the long-term management plan and the achievement of a stable profit structure independent of market fluctuations.

Existing Product Business:

We will remain committed to the pursuit of the policy of the long-term management plan.

• AA/SAP Businesses: We will continue to develop these core businesses on a global scale in order to generate stable cash flows.
• EOD Business: The EOD business will become a stable business independent of market fluctuations. One related target is the “Non-EG Ratio Target 75%”, which calls for limiting the ratio of EG products to less than 25%.
• Resin Business: In the face of the current stagnant resin market, the Company will exert more efforts in collaboration with Japan Composite Co., Ltd. in order to survive in the domestic market.

New Product Business:

We will create and develop new products with the goal of achieving ¥20 billion in sales in 2006.

• Functional Chemical Business
  The Company has restructured the existing Functional Chemical Division into the two divisions listed below. This places the current business related to these individual product lines under the control of their respective divisions, and each division’s strengths will be clearly reflected in its business strategies.
• Functional Chemical Division
  The Functional Chemical Division, responsible for creating and developing new products, has adopted a business unit system in which the individual business units of the division comprise sales staff and R&D staff. This division deals with information materials, intermediates for pharmaceuticals, and resins for paints and adhesives.
• Fine Chemical Division
  The Fine Chemical Division handles products that have a somewhat fixed market and that are sold through an R&D-supported sales strategy. Through its future strategies, this division will focus on strengthening the development of the international market while exploring active alliances in the domestic market. Moreover, it will increase efforts to enhance operating cash flows. The Fine Chemical Division deals with organic acids, water-soluble polymers, concrete admixtures, and acrylic special esters.
• Environment & Catalyst Business
  After three years of efforts to assess the potential of this business as a core business, the Company has decided to change its policy as follows: from now on, the Company will specialize in a catalyst technique as a core technology and will place the highest priority on profitability.
  Meanwhile, in environmentally friendly sectors and areas related to alternative energy, the Company will adopt a business unit system and will aim to establish a development theme in the market as early as possible.

Increase in the Ratio of International Sales

Assuming that a significant rise in domestic demand is unlikely to occur in the future, it will be necessary to further increase the ratio of international sales. The accelerated development of our global strategy, in which existing bases in Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, and China are used effectively, is more important than ever.

Profit Goal and Forecasts

• Profit Goal
  The Company aims to achieve a minimum consolidated ROA (return on assets) of 7.0% in 2006.
• Profit Forecasts for 2006
  Sales: ¥200 billion (estimated to increase by 18% from 2003).
  Ordinary Income: ¥18 billion (estimated to increase by 13% from 2003).

	Sales	Operating Income	Ordinary Income	Current Net Income	Total Assets
Forecasts for 2006	¥200 billion	¥17 billion	¥18 billion	¥11.2 billion	¥244 billion